


Bound

by invisame



Series: The Hybrid's Witch [2]
Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-02-28 04:10:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 28,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18748738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/invisame/pseuds/invisame
Summary: Cassidy Grimes and Niklaus Mikaelson survived the ritual. When Cassidy finds herself unable to cast even the simplest spell she considers it price paid for Nik’s curse being broken. Afraid her hybrid won’t want her around if she can’t use her magic, she says nothing. When she nearly dies because of it, Nik begins to hunt for answers.When Esther, the Mikaelsons’ mother, returns from the grave, she seems to have a soft spot for Cassidy. Elijah, Nik and Cassidy all know it’s a lie and wonder at the woman’s plan. Because Cassidy shouldn’t remember anything from the other side, but she remembers everything. Without her powers, she doesn’t stand a change against the Original witch. Or does she?





	1. Chapter 1

The ritual was over. I had served my part as the sacrifice and Niklaus Mikaelson was freed from his curse. My Original was now a true hybrid. Thanks to the resurrection amulet he’d given me, I’d come back to life despite his mother’s best attempts to keep me from doing so. God, I hated that woman. The spell that linked me to Nik and his brother Elijah had faded with my death. My magic was muted. I could feel it buzzing under my skin but I couldn’t access it. I hadn’t said a word to either Original brother. We were dealing with enough at the moment without adding that to the mix.

It was the day after I returned to life and Nik sat in his favorite chair while I perched in his lap. We hadn’t left each other’s side for even a second since the moment I returned from the Other Side. We had been too close to losing each other to take the time we had together for granted.

My head leaned against his shoulder and his hand made lazy circles on my back as he read from _Jane Eyre_. It was one of my favorites and Nik was going out of his way to be accommodating. He was trying to make amends for killing me. It was unnecessary but I wasn’t about to complain.

Our lazy afternoon was interrupted by the front door being thrown open. Our gazes shifted to the doorway of the living room, but otherwise we stayed where we were. “Klaus!”

Nik groaned as he recognized Stefan’s voice. “In here, Salvatore.” He didn’t bother raising his voice. The vampire could hear him just fine.

Stefan came into view. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were wide. His gaze darted from the hybrid to me and his expression changed to one of shock. “Cassidy? But…you were dead. We saw you.”

I chuckled and gave him a small smile. “I _was_ dead. Now I’m not.”

“You need to tell everyone,” he insisted. “Elena has been beside herself. They are planning a memorial for you.”

“Was there something you needed?” Nik asked, his voice heavy with irritation. He wasn’t looking forward to having to share his time with me with anyone but his brother. I rolled my eyes. I had already told him that we couldn’t remain hermits forever though I hadn’t been in a rush to tell everyone either. I was still coming to terms with everything that happened the past few days.

“It’s Damon,” Stefan said. “He’s dying.”

That got my attention and I pushed myself off Nik’s lap and to my feet. “What do you mean dying?”

Stefan swallowed as his gaze moved from me to the hybrid again. His tongue darted out to wet his lips. “Tyler Lockwood bit him. The witches said you have a cure.”

I glanced over my shoulder to Nik. He rolled his eyes before standing. “And what will you give me for it, hmm? Surely you don’t expect me to just be charitable and hand it over after all the trouble you and your friends have caused?”

Stefan’s jaw went tight. “What do you want?”

An arched brow in my boyfriend’s direction conveyed my opinion of his current action.

He sighed. “All right, fine. We’ll be right back, Stefan. Stay here.”

The younger vampire frowned in confusion but simply nodded and perched on the edge of a chair. I followed Nik from the room and into the kitchen, leaning in the doorway as I watched him sift through drawers. “What are you looking for, babe?”

He glanced up to give me a crooked smile at the nickname before resuming his search. “A vial or something.”

I walked over to the drawer closest to the refrigerator and retrieved a large vial for him. “Always ask the witch to help find things, hybrid. We have a knack for that.”

He hummed in agreement. “So, I see.” His hands settled on my waist and he pulled me close. He pressed his lips softly in the space just behind my ear before he left a trail of kisses down the side of my neck.

As much as I wanted to continue, I huffed a laugh and pushed against his chest. “Lest you forget, Damon is my friend. I’d prefer it if he didn’t die.”

“So demanding,” he said with a frown. But he took a step back and bit his wrist, letting the blood flow into the vial. He capped it and handed it over. I slid it into my pocket before taking his hand in mine. He led me into the living room where Stefan hopped to his feet.

“Where is it?” he asked when neither of us said anything or produced anything resembling a cure.

“Cassie will see that it is delivered. As for you, mate, I have a proposition for you,” Nik said.

I shook my head but said nothing. It wasn’t a surprise as we’d discussed it the night before. To say that I was shocked to discover Nik and Stefan had been friends once upon a time was an understatement. Now that the curse was broken, Nik’s next goal was to rekindle his friendship with the other vampire.

“I have a journey that must be made this summer. I would like you to accompany me,” Nik offered.

“Me? Why?”

“Let’s just say that I see something in you, Stefan. Something you’ve buried. The true you as it were. What do you say?”

“Is this what you want in exchange for the cure?” Stefan asked. His lips were pressed into a thin line.

When Nik looked as if he was actually considering the offer, I elbowed him in the ribs. He laughed and held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. “The cure is freely given. This would just be an agreement amongst friends.”

“Friends?” Stefan said with an arched brow.

“Why don’t you two have a drink?” I interrupted. “I’ll run this over to Damon.”

Nik kissed me on the cheek. “Be careful, sweetheart. Call if you have any trouble.”

I nodded and hurried from the house. The drive to the Salvatore boarding house went quickly. I was unsurprised to see several cars parked out front when I got there. Contrary to what he seemed to think most of the time, Damon had a lot of people that cared about him whether he realized it or not. When I got to the door, I opened it without knocking. I didn’t see much point. It wasn’t as if Damon would be up to answering.

“Hello?” I called though I didn’t raise my voice much. Steps moved through the house in my direction. After a moment Jenna appeared. Once she caught sight of me, her smile slipped as her mouth fell open. She wanted to say something but I wasn’t entirely certain she was able. Finally, she closed the distance between us and wrapped me in her arms. “We thought you were gone,” she managed to say after a moment.

I leaned back and gave her a little smile. “I was for a bit. But I’m fine. And I’m here to save Damon. Where is he?”

“He’s in his room. Elena is with him. Have you seen Stefan?” Jenna’s gaze darted over to the door as if she expected the younger Salvatore to walk through at any moment.

“He’s having a drink with an old friend.” I headed toward the stairs. “I need to get this up to Damon. I’ll be back.”

She nodded, pulling her phone from her pocket as I hurried up the stairs to Damon’s room. Voices drifting into the hall slowed my steps as I neared the door. When I peered inside it was to see my cousin kissing her boyfriend’s brother. I gave a little shake of my head then took it upon myself to interrupt. As much as I loved my cousin, Elena was the last thing Damon needed in his life right now.

“Hope I’m not interrupting,” I said as I walked into the room.

Both of their heads snapped in my direction. “Cassidy?” Elena questioned before launching herself at me and wrapping her arms around me. I hugged her just as fiercely in return. “I thought I was never going to see you again.”

I looked past her to Damon. He was covered in a sheen of sweat and his brow was furrowed. “Cassidy?”

“It’s me, Salvatore. And once again I am here to save your sorry ass.” I pulled the vial from my pocket. “Elena, help him lean up.”

Once he was upright enough that I thought he could drink the blood without choking on it, I uncapped the vial and tipped it in his mouth. He swallowed it eagerly. I tossed the empty vial in the trash and perched on the end of the bed, waiting for him to recover.

It didn’t take long at all for his color to improve and soon he was sitting up. He rested his back against the headboard and studied me with that piercing gaze of his. Instead of saying anything, he glanced at Elena. “Where’s Stefan?”

“He went to talk to Klaus. Bonnie said he knew the cure.”

His gaze shifted back to me. “I guess that explains the special delivery. Where’s my brother, Grimes?”

Irritation spiked through me. “I don’t think I like your tone, Salvatore. After everything you still don’t trust me?”

He shifted so he was sitting more upright. “That depends. You still with Klaus?”

I arched a brow. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t be with Nik?”

“Damn it, Cas. Are you insane? He killed you. Why can’t you see that he is not a nice guy?”

Surprisingly, Elena was staying out of it. Her gaze just kept shifting between the two of us.

I bent my head forward and pinched the bridge of my nose as I tried to calm my irritation. “Elena is alive. I am alive. _You_ are alive. Why do you insist on making him the villain?”

He shook his head and his jaw went tight. “You just don’t get it, Grimes. And at this point, I don’t think you ever will. If he had the cure all this time, he could have saved Rose. He could have but he chose not to. He let you get hurt and he let her die. A good person doesn’t do that.”

“I guess I’m not a good person then, Damon. You want to blame someone for Rose, blame me. I was the one that told him not to save her. She didn’t deserve it. Her little stunt with Elena could have gotten us all killed. But you’re going to mourn her death and paint Nik as the villain. Whatever, Salvatore.” I stood with a sigh and shifted my gaze to Elena. “Nik and I are going out of town for a while. I’ll be back.” What I didn’t tell her was that if the hybrid got his way, Stefan would be joining us. No sense dealing with that meltdown until necessary.

After a small wave, I went down the stairs with the intention of heading home. My steps faltered when I saw Alaric waiting for me at the foot of the stairs.

He swallowed and tears fell from his eyes. “Jenna said…I didn’t believe her. Is it really you?”

My heart ached a little at the knowledge of what he must have gone through when he thought me dead. In answer, I closed the distance between us and threw my arms around his neck. “It’s me, Ric. I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for, Cassidy? Saving Elena? Being alive? God, it’s good to see you.”

Finally, we separated and I wiped the sheen of tears from my eyes. “I love you, Ric.”

“You too, kid.”

I gave him one last hug before heading to the door. I opened it but turned back before stepping out. “By the way, Nik saved your pain in the ass bestie, even if he doesn’t appreciate it.” 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is super short for some reason, so I'll be posting two today.

Laughter echoed from the living room as I opened the door. I smiled and headed in that direction. My gaze moved between Stefan, Elijah and Nik as I leaned against the doorframe. “I’m not sure if I should be happy you’re all getting along or jealous you started without me,” I said finally.

Three smiling faces turned in my direction. 

“Damon?” Stefan asked immediately. 

“He’s fine,” I answered then pursed my lips wondering how much else I should mention.

“What is it, love?” Nik asked. He knew me well enough by now to know when I was debating something with myself.

My gaze shifted to lock on his. “Despite everything, you are still the bad guy and I’m an idiot for loving you.”

Nik grinned as he always did when I told him I loved him. He took a drink of his bourbon in an attempt to hide the smile. 

I looked back to Stefan. “And you should probably know he and Elena were kissing when I got there.”

Everyone in the room seemed to freeze in surprise for a moment.

Finally, Elijah cleared his throat. “I am sure it was simply two friends saying farewell. After all, they had every reason to believe he would die until Cassie arrived.”

Stefan grimaced and took another sip of his drink. “I’m sure you’re right,” he said.

I made my way to Nik and took my favorite seat in his lap. His arms immediately opened for me and wrapped around me to hold me in place once I’d settled. “Given the general joviality here, I am assuming you removed the compulsion?”

His hand wrapped around the back of my neck and he arched a brow. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I did or I’d certainly have to now, wouldn’t I?”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t even be acting like you weren’t planning on doing it anyway.”

Elijah chuckled. Nik and I’s exchanges always did amuse him. 

“Yes, I removed the compulsion. Stefan has yet to decide if he will be accompanying us on our journey or not, however.”

Stefan looked between me and my hybrid. After a moment, he downed the rest of his drink and sat his glass on the table. “You know what? Why not?” 

***

It was now late summer and the three of us were still on the hunt for werewolves. They weren’t nearly as easy to find as Nik had assumed they would be. Thankfully, he hadn’t asked for any spells from me as I still had no access to my magic. And I still hadn’t told either Original. When we left Mystic Falls, Elijah had gone his own way, seeing to some ‘business’. Fortunately, I’d convinced Nik it wasn’t necessary to kill everyone we questioned so the two vampires had resorted to compulsion over bloodshed. For the most part. 

We were following another lead and I was currently sat in the back of the car playing on my phone. It vibrated in my hand. Elena. I sighed. “Your girlfriend is calling me again,” I announced to Stefan.

He answered with a grunt and a shrug of his shoulders. 

I rolled my eyes. Stefan had decided he wasn’t speaking to her. And since she couldn’t get him on the phone, she kept calling me. “Hello, Elena,” I answered.

“Hey, Cassie. How’s your trip going?”

“It’s going. We are in…I actually have no idea where we are at the moment,” I confessed.

Nik smirked. He was driving as he got bored quickly if he had nothing to do. And Stefan complained one too many times about the activities the two of us got up to if we were in the back seat together. “We’re in Tennessee, love.”

“What he said,” I told her as he’d spoken loud enough to be heard. “What’s going on there? Anything exciting?”

“Not really.” There was a pause and I knew what was coming next. “Is Stefan still with you?”

“Yep,” I said, popping the p. “And his phone is fine. He just doesn’t answer it when you or Damon call. Maybe you should just give him some time.”

Stefan glared at me and I simply glared back. 

“Oh,” Elena said softly. 

“Look, Elena, contrary to what you and Damon think, Stefan and I are both on this journey of our own free will. The fact that you continue to insist we are compelled and don’t know what we are doing is irritating at best. We don’t need to be rescued, we don’t need to be talked to like we’re toddlers with no concept of the world. That and he’s still pissed the two of you kissed,” I told her.

“I still can’t believe you told him about that,” Elena pouted.

I sighed. “You keep insisting you aren’t a kid anymore. So, act like it. Pick a brother. Stringing them both along is something a child would do. I love you Elena, but I’m done being in the middle of this.”

I hung up without waiting for her to respond and stared out the window. Feeling eyes on me, I looked toward the front to find Stefan turned in his seat and Nik glancing at me in the review mirror. “What?”

“You okay?” Stefan asked. 

“Just annoyed. I’ll get over it.”

“Perhaps, you should follow Stefan’s example and ignore the doppelganger’s calls for a while, yes?” Nik suggested. Though I knew it wasn’t really a suggestion. He was being polite about it for now but if I continued to get upset about the situation, that would stop. 

“Message received, hybrid.”

He pulled to the side of the road and parked. “The house we’re looking for is just ahead.” He twisted in his seat to glance back at me. “Are you coming with or staying put, sweetheart?”

I feigned disinterest as I normally did. “I’ll stay. You don’t need me in there anyway.” 

Nik pursed his lips and nodded his head. “All right, love. I’ll be back soon.”

My eyes followed them until they disappeared from my sight and I let out a sigh of relief. The truth was, I would like nothing better than to accompany them if for no other reason than it would keep me from worrying. Without my magic, I was just another obstacle. I would only get in the way. And I was desperate to keep Nik from discovering my lack of magic. I feared he would either send me away for my own safety or lose interest in me entirely. 


	3. Chapter 3

When my morning started, I certainly hadn’t anticipated stomping through the woods in search of werewolves. My hybrid boyfriend was currently giving me a piggy back ride after making one too many snarky remarks about how slow humans were. He had refused to leave me behind for the length of time this journey was likely to take though I had all but begged. I’d just have to trust him to protect me. While Nik carried me, my head rested on his back though I would occasionally press a kiss to his cheek. Stefan carried the wolf they’d tracked down. Nik had fed the wolf his blood and broke his neck but the man had yet to wake up.

Nik came to a stop and lowered me to the ground. It took me a moment before I heard the sound of voices. I peered around his side to see a group of people setting up camp not too far from us. He placed a hand on my arm and gently pushed me back behind his body. “Stay here until we’ve properly greeted our friends, all right love?” I didn’t offer a response, but I knew he wasn’t really expecting one.

I hid myself behind a tree and kept watch. Stefan dropped Ray to the ground in the midst of his friends. He landed with a hard enough thud that it had me cringing in sympathy. Not that he was likely to feel it, he was technically dead after all. The other wolves justifiably panicked, demanded answers. When Nik announced who he was, the panic remained but the noise quieted immediately.

It was then that Ray woke. One of the campers was the human boyfriend of one of the wolves and Nik compelled him to act as dinner. It hadn’t even occurred to me to question what Nik had intended to feed them to help them transition. Hell, knowing him his initial plan was to let them run wild and find their own food. As much as I loved Nik, I had to admit he lacked forethought sometimes.

“Cassie,” he called. “You can come out now, love.”

I tried my best to keep my gaze locked on him rather than the bodies that littered the ground around us. He’d made quick work of the wolves. As if sensing my unease, he hooked a hand around the back of my neck and pulled me into his chest. He made soothing sounds as he nuzzled against the side of my head.

“They’re dead. They’re all dead.”

The sudden outburst had me pulling back in surprise. Nik turned to face Ray who was now on his feet and crouched, an angry scowl pulling his features.

“It’s your fault. You killed them,” he yelled.

Nik tilted his head as he stepped in front of me, casually placing himself between the raving hybrid and myself. “Easy, mate. Calm down. They’ll be right as rain in no time. You’ll see.” He held a hand in front of him in a calming gesture and took a step in Ray’s direction. “You’ll all be much better off. No longer a slave to the moon. Won’t that be freeing?”

If the way Ray snarled and ran off was any indication, he wasn’t convinced by Nik’s spiel. “Bloody hell,” he grumbled, just audible enough for me to catch it. “Stefan, do you mind?”

Stefan’s mouth quirked as if he was amused. “Yeah, I got it.”

As he ran off the wolves slowly began to wake. Nik moved the poor human around to feed them one at a time, then he would offer his own blood to the human so he could heal before continuing the cycle. I was so caught up in watching him, I barely heard the crack of a branch breaking to my left. I glanced toward the sound to see a woman with her attention focused solely on me.

“Nik?” I did my best to keep my voice calm as if that would somehow keep the werewolf from making me her meal.

“Yes, love? I’m a bit busy.” He sounded distracted but I didn’t dare take my eyes from the woman to check.

Before I could make another move the werewolf lunged at me, flashing yellow eyes and fangs. A scream tore from my throat and I closed my eyes bracing for the impact there was no time to avoid. When nothing happened, I opened them to find Nik holding the woman by the throat. His entire body was tense and his face showed that quiet fury that made him so terrifying. “Now that’s not very nice,” he said, his voice sharp.

The woman struggled in his grasp for a moment longer before he shifted his grip and ripped out her throat. I gasped and Nik spun to face me. He closed the distance between us in one long step, his face still full of fury. Even though I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, instinct overrode logic and I stepped backward away from him, the rocky ground making my steps unsteady. His hands found my arms, steadying me even as we continued to move.

When my back hit the trunk of a tree, Nik crowded against me, boxing me in. “Why?” he bit out.

“What?” I asked, not understanding what he was looking for.

“She would have killed you had I not reacted in time. Why would you allow this?”

“You’re blaming me?” My chest ached with the shock.

“For not protecting yourself? Yes!” He all but roared. “You’re a witch, Cassie. Whatever you may think, you are far more important to me than any of them.” With the last word he gestured to the werewolves that surrounded us. No. Not werewolves, not anymore. Hybrids. “I nearly lost you to the ritual. I will not lose you due to your failure to put your life before theirs. Do you understand?”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. He was right. I did think he valued the hybrids over me, but that of course had nothing to do with my reasons for not defending myself. Despite his fury, despite his claim that I was more important, I still found myself reluctant to admit my magic was gone. My gaze found Stefan as he reentered the clearing and dropped Roy at his feet.

Nik grasped my chin gently and turned my head back to face him. He looked half-crazy. “Please tell me you understand, Cassie.” All the fury was gone from his voice to be replaced with a plea. His eyes searched my face.

“It’s gone,” I managed to choke out.

“What’s gone, Cassie?”

When I didn’t immediately respond, he pressed his forehead against mine. “Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me what you’ve been hiding.”

Apparently, I hadn’t been as sneaky as I thought all summer. I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes. “My magic. It’s been gone since the ritual.”

There was a long stretch of silence. The voice that broke it surprisingly wasn’t Nik’s, but Stefan’s. “What the hell, Cassidy? Why didn’t you say anything?”

I shrugged and kept my eyes cast down so I wouldn’t see the disappointment on Nik’s face. After a moment, Nik pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Stefan, take Cassie to the car. I’ll be along as soon as I have a word with our friends here.”

He stepped away as Stefan approached. “Damon, Elena and Alaric were here. Ran into them when I caught up with Ray.”

I looked up in surprise, the motion catching Nik’s eye. He gave me a soft smile and winked in my direction. What the hell did that mean?

“I assume Alaric was checking on his niece. I can’t fault him for that. What did your brother and your girlfriend want?”

“They still have a problem believing we’re here under our own free will,” Stefan said.

Nik rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time to be bothered with their antics at the moment. Protect Cassie. I’ll deal with this lot.”

Stefan nodded as he scooped me up in his arms. “Close your eyes, Cass.”

I did as he ordered and we arrived at the car moments later. He tried to start a conversation with me several times, but I wasn’t about to explain myself to anyone but Nik at the moment.

Sooner than I anticipated, the hybrid himself appeared and announced his presence by opening my door, startling me. He held out a hand to me and offered a smile of apology. “I need a minute with my girl, Stefan. Turn on some music and relax for a bit.”

Stefan nodded as he started the car and flipped on the radio. Nik helped me from the car and shut the door behind me. He led me a short distance away and frowned down at me. I squirmed under his inspection but waited for him to ask his questions.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked finally.

“At first, I wasn’t sure. I just felt unsettled, incomplete. I’d barely survived. I wasn’t going to freak you and Elijah out by mentioning I thought something was wrong but didn’t know what.”

“And once you were certain your magic was gone?”

I shrugged and shook my head. “Our relationship started based on my usefulness. I already feared you would have no further use for me after the ritual was completed, I wasn’t about to tell you I couldn’t even light a candle any more.”

“You really think so little of me?”

I couldn’t miss the hurt in his voice so I was quick to correct him. “It’s not you, it’s me. My entire purpose since the accident was to break your curse. I did that. We did that. What good am I now, especially without my magic?”

“You can’t honestly believe that is all you are worth?”

“I went from Cassie, kick ass witch willing to pay the price for her magic and able to cast some killer spells to Cassidy Grimes, overly smart anthropologist specializing in a curse that no longer exists. What value do I have? I am just like every other human out there. A liability in the supernatural world and you know it,” I said, finally voicing the fears I’d been holding onto for months.

Nik huffed a laugh of disbelief. “You are more valuable than anything has been to me in my thousand years of existence. You will never be _just_ anything. You will always be my Cassie. My love. Did you really think I would abandon you once I knew the truth?”

“I didn’t know what you would do, Nik. I only knew I was terrified to find out. I’m not sure I would want to live a life without you in it. Without Elijah. I’m a Mikaelson now, I’m afraid, whether you two want me or not.” I forced a teasing tone into my voice.

He grinned then. “As if we would ever let you go.” He looped an arm around my shoulders. “Come, love. Time for Stefan to drive us to Chicago.”

I pressed against his side as he walked us to the car. “What’s in Chicago?”

“Besides history? A witch that just might have some answers for us.”


	4. Chapter 4

We arrived in Chicago more quickly than I anticipated and parked in front of a bar called Gloria’s. Nik placed his hand on my back and steered me inside the building, Stefan trailing along behind. He paused before we stepped inside. “We used to come here, didn’t we?” he asked.

Nik grinned. “Indeed we did, my friend. Often.”

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim light. When they did it was obvious the bar was closed, but an attractive woman came to greet us. “Well, if it isn’t the original hybrid himself.”

“Gloria,” Nik exclaimed as he stepped past me. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

She looked from him to Stefan and then her eyes came to rest on me. Her spine straightened and her eyes narrowed. “Who’s this?”

“You remember Stefan, surely.”

The witch waved her hand through the air in dismissal. “I’m not talking about the Ripper. I’m talking about the girl and you know it.”

“Oh, this is Cassidy. Say hello, love.”

My real name coming from his lips sounded foreign. I couldn’t remember the last time he’d called me anything but Cassie. “Hello.”

Gloria’s lips pursed as she ran her eyes over me. “You’re his witch.”

“One of them, yes.”

She shook her head. “No. You’re _the_ witch. The Mikaelson witch is what they call you. Didn’t you know that?”

I shrugged. “There was talk closer to home, sure. I didn’t think it would get this far.” The fact it had made me slightly uneasy.

She laughed. “Oh, honey. Chicago’s nothing. Anyone in the know about the Mikaelsons knows about you now, too. Better get used to it.”

Nik’s hand found mine and gave it a little squeeze. I kept hold when he otherwise would have let go. Something about this woman had me unsettled. There was a cold calculation about her that worried me.

The witch clapped her hands together and turned her attention back to Nik. “Now, what’s brought you here? Surely this isn’t a social visit.”

“Cassidy—” he started and I cut him off. I was uncomfortable with this woman knowing anything more about me than she already did.

“You know about the ritual?” I asked.

Her gaze shifted to me. “Of course.”

“Then you know that I died. However temporary that was.”

Gloria nodded.

“I’ve been having some issues with my power since then. Nik thought you might be able to help.” Even that much of an admission had my chest tightening.

She sat at one of the tables and gestured to the empty seat across from her. “What sort of issues?”

I squeezed Nik’s hand before releasing it and sitting where she indicated. “I’m not as powerful as I normally am. The magic doesn’t always do what I want it to.” Both statements were half-truths, but it should be enough to help if she could. I needed to know the source or cause for the power drain. If Gloria could help me get my power back so be it, but honestly, I’d rather have Maddox give me a hand when we got home. At least I trusted him.

Gloria stretched her hands across the table to me. “May I?” she asked.

I studied her for a moment before resting my hands in hers, our palms touching. She leaned her head back as she clutched at my hands. “Oh, my,” she said after a moment and released me.

Her stare had me shifting in my seat. “What is it?” I finally asked.

Instead of answering me, she shifted her attention to Nik. “Your sister has a necklace. I need it.”

“Why?”

“Because it belonged to the original witch. There is power there. It can help me with your girlfriend here.”

“No,” I answered automatically.

“No?” The other woman all but snorted in disbelief. “You come here for help and when I tell you what I need you say no? Then leave. It makes no difference to me.”

Nik’s hand fell on my shoulder keeping me from saying anything else. “It’s fine, Gloria. Why don’t we all just calm down and I’ll go fetch the lovely Rebekah, shall I?”

I darted a glance at him. Elijah and he had made the decision to leave the other siblings daggered until they’d dealt with Mikael once and for all. Of course, they intended to do that with my help and at the moment I was fairly worthless. I sucked in a breath, but said nothing. Ultimately what he did with his siblings, or with that necklace, wasn’t up to me. “You go. I’ll stay here,” I said.

Nik frowned. “Are you certain, love?”

I looked back to the witch across from me. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

“I’ll check in,” he said, the words more for Gloria than me. He wanted her to know that he kept tabs on me and that was just fine by me.

***

After the men had left, Gloria pushed herself up from the table. “Can I get you a drink?” she asked.

I shook my head. “I’m good. Thanks anyway.”

Once she’d gotten her own drink and had come back around to lean against the bar, I stood. “So, want to tell me what you’re really up to?”

“Excuse me?” She sat the drink on the bar behind her.

The corner of my mouth curled into a smile. “Let’s not play these games with each other, Gloria. You and I both know you’d never do anything to help Niklaus Mikaelson. Or his noble brother for that matter. I could feel the hatred and unease rolling off you the moment we came through the door.”

“Don’t you think that’s something your hybrid would have picked up if it were true? After all you’re here because your powers aren’t working right. Maybe you’re reading something that isn’t there.” She stepped closer to me and my hand reached behind my back to curl around the grip of the gun Nik insisted I wear when he discovered my magic was useless.

I made a sound of agreement. “That’s all true, but Niklaus tends to think that he’s too scary for anyone to actually betray him. You’d do it though, wouldn’t you? What is exactly that you want that necklace for anyway?”

Gloria dropped any pretense of being kind. Her lip curled as she looked me over. “The original witch has bound your powers from beyond the grave. You are attached to her and her magic.” My stomach churned at the words. It was a possibility I hadn’t wanted to dwell on. “With that necklace to connect me to her, I can draw her magic, and yours, into it and make it mine.”

I tilted my head. “Yeah, I’m not really okay with that, so I’m going to have to say no.”

She laughed again, the sound making me shudder. “As if you have a choice, witchling. Your powers are weak, and you are young. You cannot possibly be capable of half of what they say you are. You don’t have the ability to stop me.”

Her arms stretched out to either side as the furniture around them started to vibrate. “Now, we’ll make you a compliant little witch so the hybrid doesn’t suspect a thing until after my task is done.”

“I don’t do compliant,” I said as I pulled the gun from behind my back. I shot without really aiming as she was close enough I was unlikely to miss.

Her body jerked backward from the impact with her shoulder and the spell faded as her concentration fell. She looked to me in disbelief as I put three more rounds in her body, taking a step closer to her with each shot. I stopped in front of her, gun aimed at her head. She opened her mouth prepared to beg for mercy or cast a spell but I put a bullet in her brain before she could do either. I flinched as blood splattered across my front.

Nausea welled and I swallowed it down. I hadn’t done anything other than what needed to be done to protect myself and my family. I sat the gun on the table beside me and pulled my phone from my pocket. I called Nik with trembling fingers.

“Cassie? Is everything okay, love?”

I tried to answer but I choked on the words.

“Cassie,” Nik said again, sounding frantic this time. “Answer me.”

“I shot your witch.”


	5. Chapter 5

I locked the door after I called Nik. All I needed was for some stranger to wander in off the street to see the dead witch and me wearing her blood on my clothes. I leaned on the wall beside it waiting for him to knock. Despite my anticipation of it, the sound still made me jump.

“Cassie, open up.” He sounded frantic and I was glad I’d opted to wait by the door. He might not have waited for me to make my way from deeper in the bar.

I flipped the lock and let him and Stefan in. Then I shut the door and relocked it. 

Nik grasped my upper arms and turned me to face him. His eyes ran over me, looking for any injury. “Are you all right?”

I gave a little shrug. “I just put a bullet in someone’s head. I’m super.”

He pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around me. My arms slid around his waist and I just enjoyed the moment.

“She’s dead,” Stefan announced.

I peered around Nik to frown at him. “Really? What was your first clue?”

Nik chuckled. “Now, sweetheart, he was simply making certain. It would be most unpleasant for everyone if the witch wasn’t dead when we buried her.”   

He laced his fingers with mine and led me over to a table. After getting me settled he took the seat across from me. “Now, what happened?”

“What?” I asked, pulling my gaze from the dead body on the floor.

“He wants to know why you knocked off the witch that was trying to help you,” Stefan clarified.

“Can I smack him?” I didn’t really expect an answer. It wasn’t like I’d wait for permission if I was going to do it anyway.

Stefan chuckled and went back to cleaning up my mess.

“You’ll have to excuse Stefan, love. I removed the remaining compulsion so he would remember my sister. He’s a bit testy about that bit,” Nik explained.

I frowned. “Where _is_ your sister?”

“She was taking awhile to wake up. We left her a message,” he said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“Gloria didn’t feel right from the beginning. There was something…off.”

“Why didn’t you say something? I wouldn’t have left you.”

I took one of his hands in both of mine to play with it and huffed out a breath. “Because I wasn’t sure, Nik. With my magic the way it is, I see danger everywhere.”

He twisted his hand around so he could hold mine. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing, Cassie. I’d rather you be overly vigilant than dead.”

I blinked at that. “Yeah. Death is kind of way down on my list of things to do.”

“I would hope it’s at the bottom,” Stefan piped up as he picked up the witch and draped her over his shoulder.

“I’m seriously going to smack you, Salvatore,” I called after my friend as he headed toward the back room.

“I’d like to see you try, princess.”

Nik’s mouth was twisted into the smirk he got when he was trying not to laugh. I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “Anyway, your witch intended to use your sister’s necklace to draw and store my magic.”

His brows shot up. “And she thought I would just allow this to happen?”

“You weren’t supposed to know about it. She intended to cast a spell to keep me docile,” I explained.

Stefan laughed but before I could say anything, Nik snapped around with a glare. “Enough, Salvatore.”

I stuck my tongue out at the vampire but quickly stopped before Nik caught me. “That’s why I shot her. She did tell me what I needed to know first.”

“Which is?”

“Esther bound my powers while I was on the Otherside.”

***

After Nik took a moment to absorb the fact that his mother was still screwing with us, we finished cleaning up my mess before heading to the building where his sister would hopefully be awake by now. He left me outside with Stefan.

Several minutes passed before he called for us to come in. I let Stefan go in first while I trailed behind. A stunning blonde in a 1920s dress stood beside Nik. “Stefan,” she breathed.

He went stiff. “Rebekah.”

Her gaze shifted from him to me and her smile fell. “You didn’t mention you brought dessert.” Her voice was tight.

Nik crossed the floor in several long strides and pulled me against his side. “Rebekah, this is Cassidy. She’s with me.”

She turned her head slightly and stepped forward. “What do you mean ‘with you’?”

“He means they’re dating,” Stefan said. “She’s good for him actually.”

“But she’s human.” She spat the word.

“She’s a witch, Rebekah. A quite talented one,” Nik argued.

“Then let’s see her save herself,” she said and launched herself at me before I could even think of dodging the attack. My head bounced off the floor and I pushed against the angry vampire on my chest. I didn’t have to stave off the attack for long.

Nik grabbed his sister by the back of the neck and threw her across the room. He didn’t even turn to look at her as he crouched beside me to help me sit up. He ran his fingers over the back of my head.  I winced at the sharp pain the action brought with it. “Are you all right, love?”

“Do I know you?” I asked with a deadpan expression.

He scowled at me. “You’re hilarious. To your feet, little witch.” After he helped me stand, he kept an arm wrapped around my waist to keep me steady.

Rebekah had also gotten to her feet and was glaring at Nik. Stefan stood between them, holding her back with a hand on her chest. I had no doubt that she would have no trouble moving him should she desire to do so.

“Touch her again and I’ll do far more than put you back in that box.” Nik’s jaw was tight.

“You can’t be serious, Nik. We’re family.”

He took a step forward. “So is she.” His tone was just short of a yell.

Rebekah deflated as she looked between the two of us. Finally she nodded as if acknowledging his declaration.

I leaned against Nik’s side as I looked up at him and made the first request I’d made all summer. “I want to go home.”

“All right, love.” He kissed the top of my head. “Stefan get everything squared away would you, mate?”

“And where is home these days?” Rebekah asked.

“Virginia, sister dear. Right back to where we started,” Nik answered with a grin.

***

It was the next afternoon before we got on the road to head home. We’d had to go shopping to get Rebekah enough essentials to get her through until we could make a proper go of it. I’d thought she’d warmed up to me a bit while we were out but if the looks she was shooting me in the mirror were any indication, I was sorely mistaken. She sat in the passenger seat holding Stefan’s hand while he drove. It seemed they’d picked up right where they left off. Elena would be thrilled.

I was settled in the back, curled up against Nik’s side. His arm was wrapped around me while he scrolled through his phone with the other hand. I tilted my head back to look up at him. “Could I borrow your phone for a minute? Mine’s buried in the back.”

He handed it over and I pulled up his contacts to call Elijah.

“Hello, Niklaus,” Elijah answered almost immediately in his smooth voice.

I smiled. I had missed him. “Close. I’m prettier though.” Nik gave me a little squeeze to acknowledge my teasing.

He chuckled. “You most certainly are. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Have you talked to Nik at all?” I asked.

Rebekah piped up from the front. “I don’t like her calling you that.” I ignored her, as did Nik.

“Not since you arrived in Chicago. And was that Rebekah?” Elijah sounded genuinely concerned. Obviously, he realized he’d missed something important.

“Yes. I’ll get to that in a moment. Did he tell you why we were in Chicago?”

“Looking for more wolves I assumed. Was I wrong?”

I elbowed Nik in the side. He grunted and I felt a small twinge of pride. Damn stubborn hybrid. “I thought you might wish to tell him yourself,” he protested.

“Cassie, what is going on?” Elijah asked. I could tell his patience was exhausted.

I sighed. “My powers were bound when I was on the Otherside. I’ve been without them since the ritual.”

Rebekah glanced back but said nothing. We’d filled her in on most of the story as we shopped but we’d left out anything about her mother. It was unlikely she’d believe us anyway.

“Did Niklaus know?” Elijah asked drawing my attention back to him.

“Not until he made his hybrids and one tried to eat me.”

His sigh was heavy with disappointment. “Oh, Cassie. Why didn’t you say anything?”

I didn’t answer. He’d figure it out on his own. He was smart like that. Instead, I continued with the story. “Nik thought Gloria might be able to help. Not so much. Like most evil villains, she had a nefarious plan. She needed Rebekah’s necklace. When Nik and Stefan went to wake her up, I killed the witch. Now Rebekah is awake and coming home with us. Her necklace is missing but Stefan thinks it’s the one he gave to Elena, so she’s refraining from freaking out until we get there.”

Elijah was silent for a long moment. I was certain he was trying to process everything I had just dumped on him. “Did you really just say nefarious plan?”

“That’s what you come back with?” I asked with a laugh.

“I’m assuming you didn’t call just to fill me in,” he said.

I nestled more tightly into Nik’s side. “When are you coming home?”

“Not for awhile yet I’m afraid. I’m still finishing up some business. Is there something requiring my assistance?”

I shook my head though he couldn’t see it. “No. I just miss you. I’ll call you when we get home.”

“You do that, little witch. Let me talk to my sister, please.”

“Bye, Elijah.” I handed the phone to Rebekah without waiting for a response.

Nik pulled me into his lap and wrapped both arms around me while I nuzzled into his chest. His thumbs moved back and forth where he held me and I found myself drifting to sleep.

“Do you want your telephone back?” Rebekah’s voice broke through my fog.

“Just keep it up there,” Nik answered, his chest vibrating beneath my cheek. “What did Elijah have to say?”

“He told me I wasn’t allowed to eat the witch.” She sounded so disgruntled. I turned my head further into Nik’s chest to hide my smile. “He also suggested I be nice because she’s not going anywhere.”

“No, she isn’t,” Nik agreed. He moved one hand up to play with my hair and I slept feeling safe and loved.


	6. Chapter 6

“We’re home,” Stefan announced as the car pulled to a stop.

I had never been happier to hear two words in my entire life. Months of driving around the country staying in one hotel after another had not been the most ideal way to spend my summer. Being with Nik had made it bearable but I was ready to sleep in my own bed. He got out of the car first and offered me a hand.

With a grin, he took me by the shoulders and turned me toward the house. Standing in the doorway awaiting our arrival was none other than the elegant Original himself. Nik gave me a gentle push in his direction. I hurried across the yard and launched myself into Elijah’s open arms.

He chuckled and hugged me tight. “Hello, Cassie. It is good to see you.”

“I thought you had business.”

He hummed in agreement. “It was brought to my attention my presence was needed elsewhere.”

The clearing of a throat interrupted me before I could say anything else. Rebekah stood nearby with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. “Would you mind if I said hello to _my_ brother, witch?”

“Rebekah,” Nik all but growled behind her.

I shook my head. “It’s fine.” I stepped back leaving the way open for the bitchy blonde. I didn’t get far before Nik wrapped his arms around me from behind and tugged me against his chest.

“I get the feeling your sister doesn’t like me much, Nik.”

“Whatever would give you that idea, love?” he asked with a chuckle. “Give her time. She’ll come to care for you soon enough. She’s a bit prickly.”

I didn’t say anything to that. I twisted in his hold and looped my arms around his neck. “I’m so glad to be home.” My lips brushed his as I spoke.

He took advantage of our position to pull me into a deep kiss. Before we could get really carried away, we were once again interrupted by the clearing of a throat. I started to pull away but was stopped by Nik’s hand on the back of my head. His fingers threaded through my hair as he sucked and nipped at my bottom lip.

“It’s time to get my necklace back, Nik. You promised,” Rebekah announced.

I pulled away with a groan. He pressed a kiss to my forehead before glaring at his sister. “I am beginning to remember why I left you in that box for ninety years.”

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at the expression on her face and pushed Nik in her direction. “Just go. I’ll stay here with Elijah.”

He glanced at his brother to get a confirming nod. “Come along, Cassie. You can tell me all about your summer.”

I paused at the door for one last look at Nik, smiling as I watched him and Rebekah bicker.

***

A warm hand running up my spine pulled me from slumber. I groaned and rolled over to greet Nik with a sleepy smile. “Hello, great and mighty hybrid.”

He flashed a grin as he trailed fingers across my belly and leaned forward to give me a kiss. “Hello, love.”

“Did Elena give your sister her necklace back?”

“In a manner of speaking,” he said with a tilt of his head.

“Which means?”

“She ripped it from the doppelganger’s neck but yes, she got it back. Your friend Tyler asked me to make him a hybrid as well.”

I pushed myself up with my elbows. “What the hell, Nik. Anything else happen in the brief amount of time you’ve been gone?”

“Nothing you need worry about.” He handed me my phone from the nightstand. “You’re blinking.”

After swiping to wake up the phone I found several texts from my uncle. Ric went on an absolute tirade about Damon and what an asshole he was. It took me a minute but I finally figured out what happened. Wait…I reread everything.

Nik chuckled. “You look utterly confused. What’s happened?”

“Near as I can make out, Damon killed Ric but he has wearing that gaudy ring that brings him back to life. Apparently, Damon was pissed off and he knew Ric would come back so that’s supposed to make it all right.” I passed him back my phone. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

I sank back into my pillow with a sigh. “I know I said I was happy to be home, but there’s so much drama in this town, Nik.”

“I blame the Salvatores personally.”

***

After that things were quiet for a while. We lived in the house with Elijah and Rebekah, who I avoided as much as possible. Stefan lived at the boarding house though he was at the mansion more often than not. Maddox was staying in the guest room and we combed through grimoires searching for an answer to unbinding my magic. Not that we had much luck.

Damon was apparently dating Elena. Maybe. That one still wasn’t clear and neither of them would give a straight answer. It was driving Jenna insane. Who in turn was making Ric nuts who would then complain to me. This being Mystic Falls, it didn’t take long before our luck ran out.

“Elena Gilbert asked me about Mikael today,” Rebekah announced one afternoon when she arrived home.

Elijah, Nik and I were sitting in the living room and turned our attention to the blonde. “Would you repeat that please?” Nik asked.

Fear shone from her eyes. “They know about Mikael and they know where he’s hidden.”

That got both brothers to their feet while I stayed on the couch as my chest grew tight. Facing Mikael with me powerless was too big of a risk. We’d already discussed it at length. It had never occurred to us that someone else would find him and use him against us.

“Are you certain they know his location?” Elijah asked.

“It seemed like it.”

“We need more information,” I said. “Why did she approach you?”

Her gaze found Nik’s. “They found our cave.”

He waved a hand through the air as if it was unimportant. “They can’t possibly interpret what’s carved there, Rebekah. That language is ancient.”

“Well, they figured out enough to ask about Mikael.” Elijah was clearly more bothered by this development than his brother.

“You should meet with her.”

All eyes turned to me.

“Excuse me?” Rebekah asked.

“Meet with her. Find out what she knows.”

“Why don’t you meet with her? She is your cousin,” she retorted.

Elijah pursed his lips. “No. Cassie is right. The fact they didn’t come to her before you says they don’t trust her. Not with this. Which leads me to think they are plotting against Niklaus. I trust you have been complaining about him as much as you typically do. They probably believe you will aid them.”

She looked between all of us before rolling her eyes and pulling out her phone. “Fine. I’ll have her meet me at Stefan’s.”


	7. Chapter 7

Several hours passed before we heard from Rebekah. She sent Elijah a text that said Elena and company knew nothing. They were only digging for information.

“Do you believe that?” I asked before I could think better of it.

“Are you suggesting Rebekah would lie to us?” Nik’s voice held an edge I didn’t care for.

“Careful, Niklaus,” Elijah said, his gaze darting between the two of us.

“I’m not suggesting anything, Nik.” I arched a brow as I took him in. “I don’t know her well enough to know if she would lie or not. I do know Elena however and I find it unlikely her and Damon would expose their play unless they were ready to act.”

He closed the distance between us. “My sister swore a vow. She would not betray me. You may think you know everything about our family but you do not. So kindly refrain from commenting on things of which you are no part.”

“Niklaus,” Elijah snapped, but it was too late. The damage was done.

I turned to the elder Original. “If you insist on trying to keep him from self-sabotaging, you face an eternity of disappointment, Elijah.”

I moved to leave the room and Nik’s hand on my arm stopped me. “Where are you going?”

“To visit my uncle. Is there a problem with that?”

He looked as if he wanted to argue but decided against it. “Then I will take you. I don’t like you out alone.”

I brushed his hand away. “I think I’ve got it covered. Besides you should save your worry for those that actually _are_ a part of your family.”

***

I was more frustrated with Nik than I was angry. By now, I was more than used to him saying the wrong thing usually at precisely the wrong time. A couple of hours with Elijah bitching at him for his thoughtlessness should be sufficient punishment. The thought was enough to have me feeling better as I knocked on Ric’s door.

“Come in,” he called.

“I hope you aren’t making a habit of blindly inviting people into your home, Ric. You should know better than that,” I said as I walked in and shut the door behind me.

“Cassidy!” He grinned then glanced around his apartment at the photos scattered on every available surface. “Just…uh…give me a minute,” he stuttered and started to sweep the photos into a hasty pile.

Taking a step to the nearest surface, I grabbed one and looked it over. A white symbol scratched onto a dark wall. It must be the language from the cave Nik mentioned.  “You don’t have to hide this, you know. I already know about the cave.”

“The cave?”

I smiled and took a seat on the couch. “You would think that you might have reached out to the person that’s studied ancient cultures, but whatever.”

Ric sighed and sat beside me, resting his hand on my knee. “Yeah, well, I suggested that. It seems as though Elena and Damon don’t trust you.”

“I’m getting a little fed up with the two of them if I’m honest.”

“Elena’s just a kid.”

“Maybe someone should remind Damon of that fact,” I suggested.

“Come on, Cass. Damon’s not that bad. He’s just a little—”

I cut him off. “Didn’t he kill you not too long ago?”

Ric made a sound of agreement but didn’t say anything else.

“Listen, can I crash on your couch tonight?” I asked after a moment.

It was obvious he wanted to dig deeper but he was a good man. “Actually, you can have the bed. I’m staying with Jenna.”

***

I spent the next day lazing around Ric’s apartment and watching bad sci fi movies in between texting the Mikaelson brothers. I was ready to go home but I was holding out for an apology. He’d been close but hadn’t cracked yet. I just had to be patient.

When my phone dinged again, I picked it up with a smile which fell quickly when I saw the message was from Rebekah. _I want to talk to you. Could you come to Stefan’s._

I sat up with a frown. There was no question. I didn’t trust Rebekah. Not in the least. But it was important to Nik that we get along so I supposed I could at least make an effort. I told her I’d be right there then shot a message to Elijah to tell him what was going on. The phone immediately rang.

“Rebekah requested to meet with you?” Elijah’s smooth voice said when I answered.

“That she did.”

“Did she say why?”

“No. I’m hoping Stefan managed to convince her that I’m not that bad. I guess we’ll find out.”

“Be careful, Cassie. As much as I love my sister, it would be remiss of me not to be aware of her more possessive tendencies when it comes to her family.”

“Well, that’s just lovely, Elijah. I’ll keep it in mind.”

***

Elena was the one to answer the door. “Cassidy!” She threw her arms around me. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

My hug was a little more restrained. “It’s good to see you, too. Is Rebekah here?”

“Oh, yeah.” She pulled away. “She’s waiting for you in Stefan’s room.”

I kept my gaze on her as I made my way up the stairs. She was acting oddly too. What was going on?

I paused in the doorway of Stefan’s room as my gaze fell on Rebekah. She was dressed in a sleeveless red dress with her hair hanging loose to her shoulders. “Hello, Rebekah. You look great.”

She met my gaze in the mirror and smiled. “Thank you, Cassidy. Stefan said you were sweet.”

“I have my moments.” I glanced around. “Where is Stefan?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Running an errand.”

Well, that was vague. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

She turned to face me and licked her lips. “I want to ask you a question and I’d appreciate it if you were honest with me.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Do you know what happened to my mother?”

That surprised me. “Yes. Do you?” As far as I knew, she still believed Mikael had killed Esther.

“Did Niklaus kill my mother?”

By the way she asked the question I could tell she already knew the answer. I sighed. “Of course, he did Rebekah.”

That got her to her feet. She stopped inches from me. “What do you mean, of course?”

“Your mother was the only source of parental love Nik had. Though, it was tenuous at best. She let Mikael abuse him and belittle him and did nothing to intervene.”

Moisture pooled in her eyes. “What did you expect her to do? She was terrified of my father.”

“She was a witch, Rebekah. If she was strong enough to turn you all into vampires, she was strong enough to stop your father. She chose him over her son.” I was yelling by that point but I didn’t care. “And instead of facing the consequences for her infidelity, she forced that burden on him as well by binding his werewolf side and turning her back on him. Of course, he ripped her heart out. She deserved it.”

My head snapped to the side as Rebekah slapped me. Thankfully, she held back or she very well might have broken something. As it was, I’d be bruised tomorrow. “You, bitch,” she snarled.

Before I could retaliate, Elena stepped into the room and I watched in fascinated horror as she daggered Rebekah in the back. The blonde reached out for me, but I could do little more than catch her to keep her from hitting the floor. I lowered her gently to the ground before turning my full attention to my cousin.

“What the hell are you thinking, Elena?”

“I’m sorry, Cassidy but we can’t let her interfere. She might warn him.”

A chill went up my spine as Damon walked into the room. My gaze moved between the two of them. “Warn who?”

Damon shrugged as he gave me a smirk. “Don’t worry about it, Grimes. Everything will be over before you know it. We just need to borrow you to seal the trap.”

“I’m not doing shit for you, Salvatore.”

He dropped a hand on my shoulder. “I guess it’s a good thing you don’t have your powers anymore then, isn’t it?”


	8. Chapter 8

I could do little other than watch as Damon used my phone to send Nik a message asking him to meet me at the Homecoming dance. As soon as the text was sent, he turned the phone off. “Where’s Stefan?”

Damon wore his familiar smirk. “Worried he’ll interrupt? Don’t worry. He’s securely locked away downstairs. We’ll let him out when this is all over.”

“Interrupt what exactly, Damon?”

“Us being rid of your boyfriend once and for all.”

I rolled my eyes. “And how exactly do you propose to do that?”

“I will see to that,” said a voice I didn’t recognize. But I recognized the man when he walked into the room. Fear, the likes of which I hadn’t felt in years, pierced through me, chased quickly by fury. Mikael. Nik’s ‘father’ and the man who was responsible for my parents’ deaths.

The blood drained from my face and my gaze darted between Damon and Elena. “What have you done?”

Damon raised a hand. “Just calm down, Grimes. Once we get rid of the big bad wolf, everything will go back to normal around here. You’ll see.”

“You are an idiot. No wait, I’m sorry. You are a fucking idiot. What possessed you to believe that Mikael was the better of two choices?”

“Because he hasn’t done anything but ask for our help. He hasn’t threatened us. Or _sacrificed_ any of us.”

“If I am to understand correctly, Niklaus sacrificed you to break his curse and you only live because of a spell. So, you should understand better than any one the depths to which his selfishness goes. Yet you would still defend him?” Michael tilted his head to study me as if I was an oddity he couldn’t fathom.

Rather than answering him, I laughed. “You know what I find most amusing? You and Esther are so desperate to undo Nik that you gave him the very thing he needed.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Please enlighten me.”

“Me,” I answered. I gave him a moment to let that sink in before explaining. “You came to my father and asked for help tracking Niklaus. When he refused, you compelled him to kill himself and take my mother and I along for the ride. I survived, they didn’t.”

“I am sorry for your loss. But Niklaus poses a far greater threat than you realize. He must be stopped at all costs.”

“Bullshit,” I spat. “You want to kill him simply for existing. You and that witch bitch of a wife of yours.”

He was on me before I could blink. His hand wrapped around my throat and lifted me into the air. My hands wrapped around his wrists as I wheezed air past his grip. “Watch your mouth, little girl. You speak of things you don’t understand. Insult my wife again and it will be your final mistake.”

“Hey. We kind of need her, remember?” Damon interrupted.

Mikael snarled then opened his hand. I fell to the floor in a heap and cradled my throat as I coughed. “I remember, boy. Now, bring me to Niklaus so we can end this.”

***

I bit back my smile when Caroline called to say the school was flooded and the party had been moved to Tyler’s house. That had Nik written all over it. He hadn’t trusted the text sent from my phone and was shifting the location to somewhere that gave him control.

My suspicion was confirmed when we arrived at the Lockwood manor. I saw no sign of my hybrid or his brother, but there were too many people here for this to be simply students from Mystic Falls. I kept my mouth shut and my eyes forward, not wanting to inadvertently give anything away.

I needn’t have bothered. Mikael caught on right away. Hybrids. Dozens of them mixed in with the partygoers. He grabbed the nearest one and compelled him to watch me. Mikael moved away and I quickly lost sight of him. Once I was certain he was no longer close enough to stop me, I made my move.

My powers were worthless and the hybrid was stronger than me but I just needed to create enough of a scene for Nik to find me. I stomped on the man’s instep and shoved my elbow into his abdomen as I twisted away. My scream was cut off nearly before it started when a strong arm grabbed me from behind and a hand covered my mouth. “You are a poorly behaved little bitch. You and Niklaus must make a fine couple,” Mikael hissed in my ear.

“Where is she?” The words were faint, but the voice unmistakable. Nik was looking for me.

“That would be our cue. Come along.” He dragged me with him. There was no other word for it as I became as uncooperative as possible. We had nearly reached Nik when Mikael shoved me to the side, passing me off to two more hybrids.

“Keep her quiet,” he ordered before straightening his jacket and stepping out where Nik could see him.

“Mikael.” The absolute heartbreak in Nik’s voice made my heart ache. “What have you done, Damon? Where is Cassie?”

“She’s safe. For now,” Mikael answered. “And provided you cooperate she’ll stay that way.”

“Give her back to me, Mikael.”

“Your sentimentality will be your undoing, Niklaus. Come with me. Let’s end this.”

I struggled against the arms that held me and cursed Esther in my head. If I had my powers I could take Mikael down. I could save Nik and myself in the process.

Mikael made a sound of disgust. “Still a coward I see, hiding where I cannot reach.”

“I. Am. Not. A. Coward.” Nik’s voice broke and I knew he must be crying by now in both anger and grief. Oh, my heart. Why? Why was I so useless? “I command an army.” His words were little more than a growl.

“An army made of beasts who are half vampire and whom you no longer control.”

Mikael snapped his fingers and motioned for me to be brought to him. They hybrids dragged me forward and shoved me toward him. He grabbed me, wrapped an arm around me with his hand on my throat. Something sharp pressed into my back and I clenched my teeth together.

“Come out and face me or she dies.”

Nik ignored Mikael and looked me over. “Are you all right, love?”

Mikael kept me from answering by shaking me slightly, making the blade he held at my back dig into my skin. I couldn’t help the gasp that came with the sudden pain. “Why so indecisive, Niklaus? No one cares for you, boy. The only people who remain with you are the ones whose loyalty you’ve forced.”

“I’m afraid that’s not entirely true, father. He has me.” Relief flowed through me. Elijah.

Mikael turned us so he could see Elijah as well as Nik. Elijah’s eyes looked me over much as his brother had done. “And Cassie when you aren’t holding her hostage. Hello, Cassie.”

I gave him a small smile.

“Elijah, this doesn’t concern you,” Mikael said.

Elijah pursed his lips as he stepped closer. “No. See I let you convince me of that when we were young. I let myself believe there was nothing I could do to keep you from your cruelty. No longer.”

“If you force me to go through you to kill Niklaus, I will. Do not test me.”

“Niklaus!” Elijah yelled instead of responding to his father.

I didn’t even time to worry for Nik before a searing hot pain flared through me. I gasped, struggling for breath against the agony. Mikael shoved me in Elijah’s direction. He caught me and eased me toward the ground. “No, no, no. It’s okay, Cassie. I’ve got you. Just hold on.”

Short, desperate gasps for breath and red-hot pain is all I knew. Tears leaked from my eyes and I wondered if I was going to die for real this time. I wondered if Nik was all right and if Elijah would finally snap and kill Damon for this. Or maybe Stefan would do it for him.

Elijah bit into his wrist, and not neatly either. He forced it into my mouth and I tried to drink. I knew it would heal me if I did but trying to convince my body was another matter. I was suffocating. Attempting to drink only made it worse. Elijah screaming my name was the last thing I knew.


	9. Chapter 9

I woke slowly, keeping my eyes closed as I took in the world around me. I was in a bed I was fairly certain was my own. The room was quiet and I was alone. Opening my eyes, I found that only one lamp on the far side of the room was on. But I was in my own bed. Glancing over I found water on the bedside table instead of blood. I took that as a good sign.

I sipped at the water and tossed the blanket aside so I could sit up. While part of me wanted to call out for Nik, the rest of me feared that he wouldn’t answer. I had no idea what had happened after Mikael stabbed me. I took a deep breath and braced myself. There was only one way to find out.

“Nik?” I called out. There was no reason to be overly loud as if he was in the house, he was undoubtedly listening for me.

When the door opened it was Elijah that entered. While I was happy to see my friend, my chest tightened with panic. He must have picked up on the change in my heart beat because he immediately soothed my worries.

“Niklaus is fine. Once he was certain you would recover, he left to take care of some business.”

I licked my lips not liking how dry they suddenly felt. “Bullshit. What is going on, Elijah? You and I both know Nik wouldn’t have left me in that state unless it was something urgent. So, what fresh new crisis is upon us?”

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “May I?” he asked and gestured to the bed. I nodded and shifted my position so I was facing him. “Damon attempted to stake Niklaus while he was distracted by you. Stefan interceded and Niklaus killed Mikael.”

Relief flooded through me. “He’s gone?”

Elijah smiled and nodded his head. “Yes. My father’s tyranny is at an end.”

“If Mikael is gone, then where is Nik, Elijah?” The longer he went without telling me, the more nervous I became.

“It would seem when Stefan returned from your adventure, he told Damon more than he should have. He believed his brother was past his plotting and failed to see the harm in what he revealed.”

He was driving me nuts. “Quit dancing around it and just tell me.”

He sighed. “Damon has taken the rest of my siblings and is holding them hostage.”

I hopped to my feet and rocked as my head spun. Elijah was by my side in an instant steadying me. “Easy, Cassie. You nearly died. It will take your body time to fully recover.”

I huffed a laugh. “You think I’d be getting used to that by now.”

“Yes, well…” He lowered me back down to sit on the bed.

“So, _why_ did Damon take them?”

He cleared his throat. “It is his insurance policy. He believes as long as he alone knows the location of the coffins, that Niklaus will not kill him.”

My brain hurt as I tried to comprehend the sheer level of stupidity that was Damon Salvatore. And I had a sinking feeling that Elena was involved as well. If she was willing to use her own cousin as bait, I couldn’t rule out anything.

“Holy hell. Nik is going to flay him alive.”

“I believe that was mentioned as one of the options.”

I may not have my magic at the moment, but I still knew how to come up with a plan. “All right. Has he had Maddox cast a location spell?”

“Of course. However, it yielded no results. He was hoping for your assistance once you awakened.”

I nodded, already running through the list of location spells in my head. “And Bonnie?”

“I am uncertain of her status at the moment.”

“The hybrids?” They could be searching manually while we attempted to locate the others magically.

Elijah’s lips twitched. “Perhaps you should call Niklaus.” He handed over his phone. I’d have to locate mine later.

“Now is not the time, Elijah,” Nik answered.

“Where are you?”

“Cassie.” My name came in a relieved sigh. “How are you, love?”

“Confused. Anxious. Pissed off. But I’m okay. Come home, Nik.”

“Did Elijah not explain what has happened?” His voice was sharp.

“He did. Come home and let me help you come up with a plan. You’re running on emotion right now and you’re going to end up killing him before you get what you need.”

“Cassie—” he started and I cut him off.

“Don’t argue with me.” I sounded exhausted and I was. “Just come home.”

***

By the time Nik came home, I had changed and eaten. I sat in the living room with Elijah and Maddox partaking in a drink and quiet conversation. As usual when he was annoyed by something, Nik slammed open the door when he arrived, making certain everyone knew he was there.

I stayed in my seat and let Maddox greet him. “Niklaus.”

“Where is she?” His tone was short, frustrated and I sighed. I didn’t have it in me to argue with him. To soothe his temper and coddle him. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath reminding myself that I loved him.

Hands cupped my face and I opened my eyes to find Nik crouched in front of me. “Hello,” I said softly and gave him a half smile.

His echoing grin had his dimples flashing. “Hello, sweetheart. How are you?” One hand reached up to push a loose strand of hair from my face and tuck it behind my ear.

“Tired. You?”

He hummed and pressed his forehead against mine. “I am sorry I was not here when you awakened. I should have stayed.”

I leaned back to look at him in surprise. I had expected a tirade about ordering him around, not an apology.

“Niklaus Mikaelson, if I didn’t know any better, I would say you have a soft spot for me.”

“Don’t tell anyone,” he said in a low tone then leaned forward to steal a quick kiss. He repositioned us until we were in his favorite position with him in the chair and me in his lap. “So, my love, you wanted to plan. Let’s plan.”

“Cassidy believes Bonnie Bennett may be the key we need,” Maddox said as he resumed his seat. “I’m inclined to agree.”

Nik looked to me. “Clarify.”

“This wasn’t some well thought out plan. Damon reacted on instinct. He’s not smart enough to be able to hide them like this without help. Most likely he got that from Bonnie. She’s still pissed about me siphoning her excess magic at the dance.”

His hand was on my back and he ran his thumb back and forth as I spoke. When I finished he nodded and turned back to Maddox. “And how do we find Ms. Bennett?”

I shrugged. “I kind of thought we’d just knock on her door.”

***

As it turned out, all of our planning was for nothing. Just as they were prepared to head out after the Bennett witch, Stefan called to say he knew where the coffins were. Nik wanted me to stay behind, but finally conceded to my presence as long as I agreed to stay in the car and out of the way.

That didn’t keep me from bringing my gun just the same. It didn’t take us long to arrive at a run-down estate. The wave of power that came from the building swamped me when we were still several yards away. I glanced at Maddox to find him looking back with wide eyes. “Nik, there is an incredible amount of power here. Be careful.”

He turned and looked between the two of us before nodding once. I bit my lip as I took in the rigid line of his shoulders. Damn Esther. If she hadn’t bound my powers I could go in there with them and protect them.

“Get a protection spell up,” I ordered Maddox as they climbed from the car but my eyes never left Nik.

Dread settled in my belly as I watched them split up to approach the building from different directions. Part of me wanted to yell at them to stop, to just forget about it. I didn’t like them being in the midst of this much magic without knowing more about it, where it came from.

Time stretched and I fidgeted in my seat. The only sound I could hear was the rasping of my own breathing. What was taking so long? At one point I was certain I saw movement but as I stared into the shadows, nothing else stood out.

I was just about to risk Nik’s wrath and head after them when the door behind me opened with a click.


	10. Chapter 10

I spun in my seat prepared to strike out only to breathe a sigh of relief when I realized it was Elijah that had opened the door. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and tried to calm my racing heart. “That was not funny.”

“I wasn’t attempting to be,” he assured me, though his lips twitched in amusement. “Niklaus wishes for you to join us.”

I climbed out of the car and let Elijah take my hand to lead me into the house. The closer we came to the massive building, the more power swamped me. If I could access my own magic, there would be a lot of temptation here to draw more power than I was capable of using safely. I wondered briefly if this was where Bonnie got the excess power she’d been hoarding before I took it from her. Not that it really mattered.

As we stepped inside, I stopped in the entry way and sucked in a breath. Whispers buzzed around me and I closed my eyes in an attempt to filter through them. _Why are they here? Make them leave. Take the still ones with them._

I frowned. There were a lot of voices here and they were unhappy. “We mean you no harm. We have not come to disturb you, only to reclaim that which was taken from us.”

_Take it then and leave. No. No. No. She can stay but they must leave._

“Cassie?”

I opened my eyes to find Elijah studying me.

“Are you all right?” he asked with a frown.

I nodded once. “Yeah, there are a lot of unhappy witches here. Wasn’t Maddox affected?”

“Not that he mentioned. Come.” He grasped my hand more tightly in his and led me through the house, carefully avoiding areas that might trip me up. I was so busy watching my feet that I didn’t realize we’d found the others until Nik called my name.

I glanced up quickly to find him smiling at me as he stood beside a pair of coffins. Elijah released my hand and I went to stand beside the hybrid immediately wrapping my arm around his waist and pressing myself against his side. The whispers started again in earnest and I cringed. My eyes found Maddox. “Can’t you hear them?”

His eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “Hear who? I can feel the power and the agitation, but I don’t hear anyone.”

My gaze shifted to Nik. “We need to get out of here. They aren’t happy that you’re here.”

He didn’t ask any questions. Instead he simply nodded and pulled out his phone to issue instructions. When he’d finished, he turned his full attention on me. “One of the coffins is missing. Do you think you could help Maddox locate it?”

“I can certainly help him find a spell, but I can tell you right now that it depends a great deal on the witches that died here and whether they wish you to find it or not. Right now, I’m leaning toward not.”

Nik growled in irritation and my eyes darted between the two coffins. “Who’s in the third coffin?”

“What, love?”

“The third coffin. Rebekah is undaggered and at the boarding house with Stefan. Elijah is here. That leaves Finn and Kol. So, who’s in the third coffin?”

“I’m ashamed to say that didn’t even occur to me,” Elijah said. And now there were two of us scowling at the hybrid waiting for answers.

Nik shook his head once. “Not here. Too many ears, even if they are dead. Come.”

***

It didn’t take us long to find our way back to the car. Nik refused to speak while we were still on the property and he wouldn’t leave until his hybrids arrived with the truck. We sat in silence and watched as they loaded the other two brothers onto the truck. Once Maddox joined them in the cab, they pulled away. Elijah started the car and followed them off the property before pulling over on the side of the road before we’d even gone half a mile.

“Talk, brother,” Elijah demanded and my eyes focused on Nik.

A muscle twitched in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. Whatever he was about to say, I was fairly certain I wasn’t going to like it. “It’s Esther.”

Pure fear shot through me. “What do you mean, it’s Esther, Nik?” My voice trembled.

He turned in his seat and reached back to place a hand on my knee. “To be fair, when I placed her in the coffin, I wasn’t aware of the full extent of her treachery. I was still grieving and living with the guilt of having killed her.”

“So, you kept her corpse? To what purpose, Niklaus?”

“I suppose at the time, I thought perhaps I could bring her back one day. That I could beg for her forgiveness.” He sighed. “And while she is dead, I wouldn’t necessarily call her a corpse. She’s been maintained by a stasis spell.”

“Is there anything else we should know?” I asked, sounding slightly manic. “Was she breathing when you stuck her in there? Are you sure she was ever dead to start with?”

His hand squeezed my knee. “Breathe, Cassie. I assure you that Esther was dead. Her heart was missing last I saw of her. And a locking spell was placed on the coffin to ensure no one could enter without my permission.”

That eased my worry somewhat but not enough to put me completely at ease. “If she comes back somehow, it is important for you to remember that no one is supposed to remember anything that happens on the other side. Not when you enter it like I did. She said things to me…” I trailed off then took a deep breath. “If she even suspects I remember anything, she will kill me.”

“We will remember, Cassie, but I find it unlikely that my mother will pick now to return from the grave.” Elijah did his best to reassure me, but it didn’t help much.

“Why wouldn’t she, Elijah? Your father is dead. Up until now he was here tormenting you on her behalf. Hunting Nik. If anyone can find a way to return from the Otherside it would be her.”

The brothers exchanged a look and I turned to gaze out the window beside me. After a moment, Elijah restarted the car and pulled onto the road. As we neared home, I broke the silence. “Nik?”

“Yes, love?”

“When we get that coffin back, we’re burning it, the Original witch bitch included.”

“Wouldn’t dream of doing otherwise, sweetheart.”

***

It was the next day before I convinced Damon to meet me at the grill. He was convinced it was some sort of trap, and I suppose I could have made it one, but I didn’t see the point. I just wanted to end this. All of it. I also wasn’t stupid enough to meet him on my own but Stefan provided a nice compromise. Damon was still pissed at little brother for saving Nik but he trusted Stefan not to kill him.

“I’m surprised Klaus is letting you do this,” Stefan said as we sat in a booth together waiting for Damon.

I shrugged and gave him a small smile.

Stefan’s eyes went wide. “You didn’t tell him. Are you nuts?”

“You know as well as I do that Damon wouldn’t have come if Elijah or Nik was here instead of you. You also know neither of them would have let me come without them. I just want this to be over. It’s exhausting.”

Stefan nodded. “It is.” He tapped on the table with one finger while he thought. “Just don’t get hurt, huh? I kind of like my heart where it is.”

I huffed a laugh. “You’ll be just fine, Stefan.” Damon walked through the door just as I finished speaking and I raised a hand to signal him.

He slid onto the bench next to Stefan and I pushed a glass of bourbon in his direction. “Cassidy. Baby brother. To what do I owe the invitation.”

He flashed that smirk and I had to remind myself that I no longer had my magic so smacking it off his face would be a bad idea.

“This needs to end, Damon.”

He sipped his drink then sat the glass down with a thud. “To what exactly are you referring?”

Stefan rolled his eyes.

“All of it. This thing between you and the Scooby gang and Klaus. Someone’s going to get killed and it won’t be on my side.”

He narrowed his gaze and looked between me and his brother. “And that doesn’t bother you? That your so-called friends would kill one of us?”

“Of course, it bothers me, Damon. That’s why I called you. You’ve reached your limit. You do anything else and they will kill you.” I kept my eyes locked on his hoping he would see the sincerity there.

His gaze darted around the grill, the eye contact making him uncomfortable. “He got his coffins back, what else does he want?”

“One of the coffins was missing. He wants it back.”

The look of shock on Damon’s face couldn’t be faked. “That wasn’t me. You’ve got to believe me. I left all three in that house.”

This wasn’t good. I believed the elder Salvatore but who knew if Nik would.

“Who else knew they were there?” Stefan asked.

Damon shook his head and I could see the moment realization dawned on him. He licked his lips. “Bonnie. She helped me hide them. It had to be her.”

I sighed. “Yeah, that makes sense unfortunately. She’s been edgy since I stripped her of that excess magic. I’m assuming she sees my lack of powers as an opportunity too good to pass up.”

“Look, Cass, Elena and I didn’t mean anything by all of this. She just wanted Stefan back and I was worried about you. About both of you. We just wanted to make sure that both of you were okay.” His words came quickly and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince me or himself.

“Well, in the future I suggest you learn a new word when it comes to Elena. No. She can’t do a lot without your help so just don’t give it to her.”

He nodded but looked uncertain.

I reached out and laid a hand over his. “The only reason you are still alive is because of me. You do realize that, right?”

He studied me for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I know. I didn’t want to admit it at first, but I know.”

Pulling my hand away, I leaned back in my seat. “I think you and Elena need to leave town for a while. Stefan will let you know when it’s safe to come back. You don’t want to be caught in this shit. Let the blame fall where it belongs.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Cassidy.”

With that, he was gone and Stefan and I just sat staring at each other for a while. “Do you really think Klaus will let them go?”

“Yeah. He may not trust them, but he trusts me. You better take me home so I can talk to him before he goes after them.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all. Sorry for the delay. I've been sick. It's also likely I won't be back on until after June 8th so look for an update then.

Stefan was a good friend, but he was also a smart friend. That is to say, he dropped me off at home then promptly left. I didn’t try sneaking in. There was no point. I lived with vampires. And I was a grown woman. I was allowed to do as I pleased. Or so I kept telling myself.

Elijah came to greet me before I even had the front door closed behind me. “Hello, Cassie. How lovely to see you today.”

I arched a brow at his formal tone and his lips twitched.

“Are you mad?” came from deeper in the house and Elijah gave into his grin.

He gave me a nod and returned to the living room. I wondered how big of a tantrum Nik had thrown when he’d found my note. When he peered at me from the top of the stairs I gave him a little wave. “Hello, Nik.”

If anything, his scowl deepened. “Are you going to answer my question?”

I tilted my head. “What question?”

He narrowed his gaze and started down the stairs. “Are. You. Mad?”

I pursed my lips in thought before shrugging. “Not particularly. I’m actually in pretty good mood today. Thank you for asking.”

Elijah’s laugh drifted in from the living room though he quickly tried to cover it with a cough.

“Not angry. Mad. Insane. Crazy. What would possibly possess you to go off without either myself or Elijah?” He was doing his best to keep his voice level and I took pity on him when I saw the flash of worry in his eyes.

I sighed and put my things on the entry table. “Don’t be dramatic, Nik. I left you a note. I was with Stefan and you could have tracked my phone if you were really that concerned. I appreciate your protective streak but I had it covered.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I believe we covered this, Cassie. There will never be a time that I do not worry about you. I would appreciate it if you gave me less reason to do so.”

I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my head against his chest. He held me tightly and kissed the top of my head. Finally, I pulled back to look at him. “Look, if you promise to try and give me room to breathe, I promise to be more transparent about what I’m up to. Deal?”

He hummed which I chose to take as agreement. I released him and put a little space between us. “Damon left three coffins in the house. He doesn’t know what happened to the third. He thinks Bonnie may know.”

Nik rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Of course. The witch.”

I glared at the tone in his voice. “Watch how you say that word, hybrid.”

I wasn’t buying the innocent face he pulled for a moment but decided to ignore it for the time being. He was only trying to get a rise out of me anyway. “Bonnie should be easier to track than the coffin.”

Before he could respond, the front door flew open. In seconds, Nik and Elijah were both standing between myself and the threat, whatever it may be. I couldn’t see past them so I would just have to take my cues from them.

“Our brothers insisted on seeing you. Both of you,” Rebekah said. Rather than relaxing, tension straightened the spines of the men in front of me. Super.

“Niklaus.”

“Hello, Kol.”

“I’m sure you didn’t expect to see us up and around.” Pure venom laced through the voice and put me even more on edge. Nik really needed to quit daggering his siblings.

“Actually, Niklaus was the one who insisted on undaggering you upon Mikael’s death.” Elijah was trying to smooth things between them. He never would have allowed them to stay daggered, either.

 “Yes, Rebekah mentioned father’s passing. So you’ve managed to kill both of our parents now, Niklaus. You must be so pleased with yourself.” That was a new voice and I didn’t care for his attitude. Trying to make Nik feel guilty for ridding the world of Esther and Mikael was absurd.

I hadn’t thought it possible for Nik’s shoulders to get any tighter, but they did exactly that. “I did what needed to be done.”

“Oh, don’t start that. That’s your excuse for everything. You don’t get to decide what is necessary all on your own anymore, Niklaus. We won’t allow it.” That was Kol again.

When Nik and Elijah both remained silent, I was finished. I stepped out from behind Nik’s back and took in the three Originals in front of me. Rebekah’s eyes widened slightly as she took me in and her gaze darted from her brothers on either side of her before coming back to me.

“Well, hello, darling,” said the shorter of the two. He was dark. Dark hair, dark eyes and a wickedness behind his smirk that spoke of evil intentions. His eyes ran over me from top to bottom. “Who might you be?”

“This is Cassidy Grimes. She is off limits,” Nik bit out from beside me. He looped an arm around my waist and tugged me against his side.

Kol’s brows shot up. “Off limits? Since when does Niklaus Mikaelson declare anyone off limits?”

“Since Cassidy,” Elijah said. His voice had taken on a harsh edge as well.

Kol prowled closer. “Surely you realize that only makes her more intriguing.”

“Enough, Kol.” It was Rebekah that spoke this time and my eyes found hers in surprise. “Leave her alone.”

He tilted his head as if I was a puzzle he couldn’t figure out. After a long stretch where everyone but him seemed on edge, he shrugged and moved back. “Very well, sister. I was only teasing.”

My gaze moved from him to the taller, quieter brother that had merely stood observing this whole time. Catching me watching him, he gave a little bow of his head. “Finn Mikaelson.”

Of everyone in his family, Nik had spoken the least about the eldest brother. I had no reason to dislike him, but I did just the same. Something about the man just didn’t sit right with me.

“Perhaps we should move into the living room and discuss this like a civilized family,” Elijah suggested.

I pressed my lips together to keep the smartass remark that was on the tip of my tongue from coming out. Being bitchy when I had my powers was one thing. Powerless, I’d rather not tempt trouble.

Nik steered me into the living room. Heat flooded my body and I came to an abrupt stop. My stomach twisted and I felt as if I would vomit at any moment. The room began to spin around me making me feel that much worse. My hand groped blindly looking for purchase, though Nik quickly grabbed mine with his own. “Cassie? What is wrong?”

The panic in his voice led me to believe that I must look about as bad as I felt. I opened my mouth to answer and everything went black.

***

Later I would learn that Nik caught me before I hit the ground. He laid me on the ground and knelt beside me as he tried to bring me around while the others looked on helplessly. Just as he was about to take me to a doctor, he heard a voice he had hoped to never hear again.

“Niklaus.”

He froze, my hand still gripped in his and refused to look up. Seeing her would only make all this more real.

“Mother,” Rebekah breathed out, denying him the ability to ignore the ghost in his presence any longer.

He remained knelt beside me as he looked up slowly to meet Esther’s piercing gaze. Unfortunately, she wasn’t a ghost at all. She was as solid as the day he ripped out her heart. She crossed the space between them and glanced between him and me. “Do you know why I am here, Niklaus?” she asked.

“Because you’re a dumb bitch that doesn’t know when to stay to dead?” he answered without thinking, his focus not easily pulled away from me in my distress.

Esther smacked him, the impact stinging his cheek and sending fury flooding through him. Elijah placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder to keep him calm, lest he forget she was more than their mother. She was the Original witch.

Nik and his mother glared at each other a moment longer before she shifted her gaze to me. “The poor child. Whatever has happened to her?” She sounded concerned, but the small smirk on her face did not go unnoticed by either Nik or Elijah.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here's one more chapter before my trip. ;)

When I woke, I was laying on the couch with my head in Nik’s lap while he held one of my hands. “Hello, love,” he said as my eyes fluttered open. The smile he gave me had no happiness behind it and I knew instantly whatever was wrong went beyond me passing out.

“What happened?”

He pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “Do you recall what you said earlier to Elijah and I about not remembering whether or not you ate?”

I was completely confused for half a second. I never said anything about not eating. And then it hit me. The odd inflection he placed on the word remembering.

“I do hope she is all right, Niklaus.” Esther. The Original witch bitch was here.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as Nik ran his thumb along my skin in a comforting gesture. Once I was certain I had composed myself I turned so I could see the rest of the room. My gaze took in each of the siblings in turn before finally coming to rest on Esther. “Who is this, Nik?”

He squeezed my hand. “Cassidy, this is Esther. My mother.”

I widened my eyes in feigned surprise and tried to sit up.

She waved a hand through the air and gave a sickeningly sweet smile. “Don’t sit up on my account, child. It is obvious that you need your rest.”

The weak smile I gave her would hopefully have her thinking I was feeling far worse than I actually was. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

“I believe I should take Cassidy to bed, Mother. She still looks rather pale to me.”

She pursed her lips. “Of course, Niklaus, though I do hope to spend more time with her.”

“I’m sure she would enjoy that,” he answered with a fake smile. He nudged my shoulder so I would sit up.

I continued to play the invalid and let him help me to my feet. He swept me up in his arms and I bit my lip to keep from complaining. It was all part of the show. “Elijah, fetch my fiancée something to eat and bring it upstairs if you would?”

“Of course, brother. Anything for our beloved Cassidy.”

I let out the breath that had caught when Nik called me his fiancée. These two were certainly laying it on a bit thick. I thought two men that had been alive for a thousand years would be better actors. If the looks Rebekah was giving them were any indication, I wasn’t the only one that thought so.

When we reached our bedroom, Nik sat me down and began to pace the floor. I snatched my phone from my pocket and set up a group chat between me and my two favorite Mikaelsons.

_What the actual fuck is going on?_

Nik pulled out his phone and frowned at it before rolling his eyes at me. I gave him wide eyes and pointed at my ear. Anything we said could be heard by anyone else in the house. He didn’t acknowledge the gesture, but he texted back so he must have agreed.

_N: Why would I know any more than you at this point?_

_C: Because I passed out????_

_E: You are the one that kept mother’s corpse._

I snorted a laugh and Nik glared at me. A sharp knock at the door interrupted. Elijah entered without waiting for anyone to answer. He smiled at me, humor dancing in his eyes as he put the plate in his hand on the table near the door. His attention returned to his phone.

_E: What are we going to do about this?_

_N: I have Maddox looking into it._

_C: I bet if I kill her I could get my magic back._

Nik’s shoulders went tight and he gave me a look that said I better not even think about trying.

_N: Yes or your magic is gone for good._

_E: You would likely die in the attempt. She was powerful before. With your magic added to hers, who knows_

I groaned in annoyance, both at the fact they were right and that the witch bitch was alive and well. I fell back onto the bed and tossed my phone to the side. The men continued to text but I supposed they’d let me know if it was something I needed to pay attention to. I wiped a hand down my face. There had to be a way out of this.

Suddenly remembering the conversation downstairs, I grabbed my phone and sent a new message.

_C: btw what’s with the fiancée thing?_

Elijah raised his eyebrows as he looked at his brother, his lips twitching in amusement.

_E: afraid mother won’t approve of you living together before marriage?_

I laughed and quickly slapped a hand over my mouth to quiet myself. I loved that these men could have me laughing even in a time like this. I needed the stress relief, that was for sure. Nik scowled at both of us before striding across the room and digging through his nightstand. I sat up with a frown to watch him. Finally, he stepped away and slammed the drawer shut. He turned to face me, his clear blue eyes looking me over.

“Give us a moment, brother,” he asked without turning to Elijah.

“Of course.” A minute later Elijah was gone.

Nik flopped on the bed and pulled me down with him until we were laying face to face. He pushed a stray tendril of hair away from my face and behind my ear. “I know that I don’t say it very often, but I love you, Cassie.”

I grinned. “I didn’t realize how much I liked you and Elijah calling me Cassie until you called me Cassidy in front of your mother.”

He hummed. “Well, it would be a shame for her to pick it up and start using it. I’m rather fond of it myself and would hate to have to find you a new nickname.”

I let out a soft giggle. “It’s not much of a nickname when it’s only a letter shorter than my full name. You know that, right?”

He leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “Hush.” He took a deep breath. “I assumed that this was understood, but I suppose I should know better.”

My brow furrowed as I frowned at him.

The hand that wasn’t propping his head up appeared between us, black velvet box clutched in his fingers. My heart raced as my gaze darted between him and the box. “Is that…” I trailed off, unable to voice the question. I was going to feel like an idiot if there was a pair of earrings in there.

The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Open it.”

I shifted so my hands were free but I was still leaning on my elbow. My hand shook as I took the box from him. The lid snapped open with little encouragement from me. I sucked in a breath and tears immediately flooded my eyes. Nestled in the velvet was a ring. The most beautiful ring I’d ever seen. And it was absolutely perfect for me.

The round stone was surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds held in place by two bands made of rows of diamonds. It must have cost a fortune, but it was simple, elegant. I plucked it from the case and held it in the fingers of my left hand. I couldn’t believe he’d picked out something so stunning for me.

“Do you like it?” His voice was soft, uncertain.

I tore my gaze from the ring to smile at him. The hand that held the ring found his face and pulled him forward for a kiss. We separated only far enough for me to lean my forehead against his. “It’s amazing, Nik. I love it.”

He put more space between us, his smile as he looked at me, made him even more gorgeous. His hand wrapped around my own and pulled it away from his cheek. After plucking the ring from my grip, he shifted his hold so he could slip it onto the appropriate finger. Before he had it settled fully in place, he looked from it to me. “Marry Me?”

My head fell back as I laughed. “Yeah, I think I can do that.”   

***

I barely had time to enjoy my newly engaged status before Elijah came to retrieve us. An irritated expression on his face made it clear it wasn’t his idea. Nik linked his fingers with mine and led the way to the living room.

Everyone was settled there with varying unreadable expressions on their face. It was Esther that broke the silence. “Why did you not tell me you were proposing to the girl, Niklaus? We could have made it a family occasion.”

Nik cleared his throat. “Yes, well, she’s not marrying the family, is she?”

She stood then. Even her fake smile was tight with displeasure. She really didn’t like my hybrid. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, she is. That’s what marriage is, trading one family for another. For the bride anyway.”

“Things have changed a bit, mother, since the last time you were around,” Elijah interrupted. He stepped between us, obstructing my view of her and handed us both a glass of champagne. He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “Congratulations, sister.”

My face heated at the sentiment and he stepped away only to turn to Esther again. “Besides, she’s already family.” He returned to his post on the other side of the room, his dark eyes watching as the rest of his siblings gave us their good wishes.

His mother came last. She settled her hands on mine and I resisted the urge to shiver from the chill of her touch. “I am so glad that my Niklaus found someone like you. You are exactly what he deserves.”

I wasn’t quite sure how to take that considering her obvious dislike for Nik. Nik’s hand was resting on my back and his fingers dug in slightly with her words. I didn’t know if it was a warning to curb my tongue or a sign of his irritation. I gave her the sweetest smile I could muster. “Thank you so much. That means a lot.”

Suddenly, the witch bitch smiled and it sent a shiver of unease up my spine. “We shall have a ball to celebrate this momentous occasion. I have just decided.”

The siblings exchanged glances amongst themselves. The only one that appeared moderately happy by this news was Rebekah. Well, of course she would be excited about a ball.

“I’m not certain that’s necessary, mother. We do like our privacy,” Nik argued.

“Well, I believe that it is. You wouldn’t want to disappoint your mother, would you Niklaus?” Her voice had an edge to it that made me want to smack her.

“Of course not. He was just surprised is all. It’s a fine idea,” Elijah intervened. He probably didn’t trust either of us to be diplomatic.

I might have managed. I just had to keep reminding myself that she could turn me to dust with a snap of her fingers. “Actually, I think what Nik was getting at was that normal people don’t have balls anymore.” Okay, maybe I couldn’t behave. She just irritated the piss out of me.

Esther’s jaw went tight as she looked me over and the tension in the room became a palpable thing. I just kept my gaze locked with hers and a stupid clueless smile on my face.

Oddly enough, it was Kol that broke it. “If you’re going to be part of this family, sweetheart, you really must learn that we have never been normal.”

My gaze darted over to him and his cheeky grin. He gave me a wink and my smile shifted into something far more sincere than it had been.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry. I forgot you weren't caught up with everyone else. So...have four chapters to get you there.

It came as no surprise to me that Rebekah was using the ball as an excuse to go shopping. I was, however, shocked when she asked me to accompany her. We hadn’t talked much since Nik killed Mikael. So, when she extended the invitation shortly after breakfast it may have taken me a moment longer than it should have to respond. 

“You don’t have to go with me if you don’t want to,” she finally said, sounding more than a little disgruntled.

“No. I’d love to. I’m just surprised you asked me is all.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, who else am I supposed to ask? Elena or that blonde?”

My lips twitched. And there was the Rebekah I knew and semi-tolerated. “Let me get my things and say bye to Nik. I’ll meet you at the door.”

She nodded and left my room where I’d been hiding from Esther. I wouldn’t want to intrude on her time with her children. Or something like that. That was the line I fed her anyway. It didn’t take me long to find Nik as he was in Elijah’s study along with the rest of his family save Rebekah. 

Though the door was open, I still knocked. Nik glanced my way and his eyes softened. He was on his feet in an instant. “I’ll be right back, mother.” He grasped my upper arm when he reached me and steered us both back into the hallway. After turning us so my back was against the wall, he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me gently. “God, I miss you.”

I chuckled. “I’ve been in the same house as you all morning, Nik.”

He hummed and kissed me again. 

I pulled away and grinned at him. “Your sister is taking me shopping. I have no idea where we are going or how long it will take.”

His brows lifted. “You’re going shopping with Rebekah?”

“Apparently I was a better option than Elena or Caroline.”

“I see.” He licked his lips and pulled out his wallet. “I keep forgetting to give this to you, but now seems like a good time.”

He handed me a pure black credit card. With my name on it. My gaze found his in surprise. “You don’t have to do this, Nik.”

He grinned, flashing his dimples. “I know I don’t. That’s precisely why I wish to do it. Go spend my money. I have too much of it.”

He kissed me again then headed back into the office, promptly dismissing me. 

***

It took Rebekah and I nearly three hours to find dresses we liked and another two to acquire all the needed accessories. Now, I inexplicably found myself sitting across the table from her as we had dinner together at a little restaurant I hadn’t known existed until today. 

“I had fun today,” I told her, breaking the silence. 

She looked at me with a little tilt of the head. “Your presence was not entirely intolerable.”

I rolled my eye but I didn’t miss the way the corners of her lips twitched as she fought a smile. “Thanks.”

Rebekah leaned back in her seat and ran her eyes over me. “When I first met you, I believed that you had my brothers under some sort of spell. No one gives as much you have without wanting something in return, regardless of what you said to them.”

“And now?”

“Now I believe it is just your nature to be as you are. It is slightly disturbing if I’m honest. We have encountered few like you over the centuries. I keep waiting for it to end and your true self to be revealed.” After that, she turned back to her food as if the two of us were discussing the weather or something else of equal import. 

I shook my head and chuckled lightly. “I’m not sure if I should be sorry or not when I tell you that what you see is what you get. I love Nik. I love your family—well, most of them—and I don’t intend to go anywhere.”

She laughed a bit then grinned. “Finn does take some getting used to.”

I nodded and bit back the things I wanted to say about Esther. Rebekah hadn’t come around and joined the rest of us in the Original witch bitch hate club yet. “Thank you for this today, Rebekah. We should do it again.”

Her grin shifted to a genuine smile. “I would like that.”

***

The day of the ball arrived quickly. Rebekah and I got ready in her room, far from the prying eyes of the boys. Stefan had arrived early to help where needed and she declared neither of our men could see us until we were properly done up. She had even compelled someone to do our hair and makeup. I tried not to be bothered by that, though it went against my nature. When Rebekah slipped her several hundred in cash before sending her on her way, it did a lot to soothe my guilty conscience. 

We had barely finished getting ready when a knock came at the door. “Mother is demanding our presence downstairs and I refuse to go without my fiancée,” Nik’s voice carried into the room. 

Rebekah looked to me and grinned. “Ready?” 

I nodded once and took a deep breath. “You?”

“Absolutely.” She swung open the door to reveal Stefan and Nik awaiting us in the hallway. 

Their conversation cut off abruptly as they caught sight of us. I giggled slightly at the awed expression on Nik’s face. I couldn’t help it. My dress was a sage green remnant of a different time. With tulle overskirts pinned up to show the satin beneath and a delicately beaded bodice, it made me feel like a princess. I’d paired it with strappy gold heels and the hairdresser had threaded faux gold pearls into my hair. 

Nik finally shook off his shock enough to step into the room and take one of my hands with his. He held it up and spun me so he could take in my ensemble from all angles. “You are exquisite, love.” 

My face heated as I faced him and ran my hand down his lapel. “You don’t look so bad yourself, Mr. Mikaelson.”

His gaze sharpened. “I assure you, Cassie. No one will be looking at me this evening. Not with you in the room.”

“If you like this so much, wait until you see what I’m wearing underneath it.” With that, I patted his chest and strolled from the room.

It took a couple of beats for him to snap from his daze and hurry after me. He stopped me in the hall and offered me his arm. His tongue darted out to moisten his lips as his eyes ran over me one more time. “How long do we have to stay at this thing again?”

I laughed. “This was your idea, Nik. I wanted to run away but you said no.”

“What kind of an idiot am I?” he grumbled. 

“The best kind.” I gave him a soft kiss on the cheek just before we reached the top of the stairs and he escorted me down. Instead of stopping to talk as I had expected he led us directly to the dance floor. As the ball hadn’t officially began, we were one of only a few couples dancing. 

I leaned my head against his shoulder as he moved us around the floor. “I love you, Nik.”

He hummed a happy sound that came from low in his chest. He kissed my cheek then his lips found my ear. “And I love you, Cassie. You’re mine. Never forget that.”

I tilted my head back to smile at him. “As long as you remember you’re mine, I think we’re good.”

Before Nik could respond we were interrupted by Finn. “May I cut in, brother?”

Nik looked between the two of us with an arched brow. When I gave a small nod of my head he stepped back and relinquished his spot to the eldest Mikaelson. “I’ll fetch us something to drink and meet you by the bar, Cassidy.”

“Of course,” I answered and let Finn take me in his arms. He spun me effortlessly around the floor as I studied him. “I have to admit, I didn’t expect to be dancing with you.”

He smiled softly and the expression looked out of place on his face. “I have to be honest, I didn’t anticipate it, either. It seemed to be the best way to speak with you without my brothers overhearing, however.”

I looked at him with wide eyes. What could he possibly have to say to me that he wouldn’t want the brothers to overhear? Maybe I’d heard him wrong. Or misunderstood what he was trying to say. He was trapped in a coffin for 900 or so years. His social skills were bound to be a little rusty. “I’m sorry?”

He nodded once and turned us so his back was to his brothers as they stood by the bar watching us intently. “Mother wishes to speak with you. Alone. I will signal you when it is time.”

My brow furrowed. That sounded ominous.

His gaze locked onto mine. “You will tell no one of what I have said and remember nothing until I signal you from the top of the stairs. Then you will make excuses and meet me outside Mother’s room.”

I said nothing as I stared back and he led me over to Nik. I’d never been happier to be immune to compulsion. My fiancé wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to him. “Thank you, brother.”

“The pleasure was mine.” He gave a small bow and quickly disappeared into the gathering crowd. 

“What was that about, darling?” Kol asked.

I glanced at him, but all three brothers were staring after the eldest. If I told them the truth, I knew at least two of them would keep me from meeting with Esther. We needed to know what this was about, especially if Finn was compelling me to forget. No, I’d tell them everything later.

“I’m not certain, yet. I’ll let you know when I am.”


	14. Chapter 14

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I saw Finn signaling from the top of the stairs. I nodded to let him know that I had seen. Pasting a smile on my face, I turned to Nik. “These shoes are pinching my feet. I’m just going to run upstairs and change. I’ll be back shortly.”

His eyes ran over my face and it was evident he didn’t believe a word of what I was saying. “Of course,” he said before leaning forward to press a kiss to my cheek. “I don’t know what you’re up to, love, but do be careful. Might I offer my assistance?” his voice in my ear was only loud enough for me to hear.

“I’m afraid you have to stay a bit longer, yet,” I responded a bit louder. “It wouldn’t do for us to disappear so quickly.”

Elijah’s dark eyes moved between the two of us and I gave a slight shake of my head. _Soon,_ I mouthed before turning and hurrying up the stairs. I’d barely stepped out of sight at the top when a hand grasped my arm and tugged me into a doorway. Finn.

He shut and locked the door behind us while my eyes darted around the room, taking everything in. Esther was there as expected, but so was Elena. Her and Damon had returned for the ball because they are idiots. Or, Caroline had convinced them it would be fine or something. I didn’t really care. Elena gave me a small smile. “Hi, Cass.”

I nodded then turned my attention to Esther and the sage she was lighting. Whatever she was about to say, she didn’t want to be overheard. “Finn said you wished to speak with me?”

She gestured to two chairs near her desk. Elena took one but I remained standing. “My dress is a bit snug. It’s more comfortable for me to stay standing.”

“Of course,” Esther agreed. “I have asked you both here because I wish to apologize to you for the hurt and pain that you have suffered due to my family.”

“Um, thanks, I guess,” Elena said.

I was trying to figure exactly which hurt and suffering she might be referring to as she was the cause of a good portion of it. “If you’re referring to the time your husband tried to kill me, yeah that sucked.”

The witch’s features grew pinched. “Must you always be so flippant?” she snapped.

“Apparently.”

She motioned to Finn and he stepped forward, blade in hand. My spine immediately straightened as my eyes locked on the knife. “Elena, if you don’t mind. I need just a bit of your blood for a spell I must perform.”

My cousin’s eyes darted up to meet mine and I gave a small nod. If she didn’t give it willingly, they’d just take it.

“Okay.” Finn pricked her finger with the blade and they collected the blood in a bowl. Once they had several drops, Esther murmured some words over Elena’s hand and the wound healed.

“You may leave, child.”

Elena looked horribly confused, but she was at least smart enough to agree and flee the room. Once she was gone, Esther stood and closed the distance between us. “As for you. Tell me, Cassidy, what is it that draws you to Niklaus so? He is not particularly noble or kind. I am uncertain he even has the capacity for love though he does play at it.”

I bit back the words that settled on the tip of my tongue, the ones that would surely earn me no favor with the witch in front of me. I needed to discover what she was up to and get my magic back. Honesty wasn’t going to get me either of those things. I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just love him. I have always loved him.”

Her brows drew together as she studied me with her dark eyes. “Always?”

“Yes, it seems that way. I do not remember when or how I fell in love with him. One day I just realized that I was.”

Esther’s gaze darted from me to Finn and back again. “Was this before the ritual?”

“Oh, long before. I wouldn’t willingly give up my life for someone I didn’t love. That’s absurd.”

“That treacherous, evil boy,” Esther spat out. She made a sweeping gesture in my direction. “Finn.”

I looked between the two of them, not having to feign my confusion. Finn took my hand in his. “I just need a bit of your blood, Cassidy. Just a taste.”

I nodded and he pricked the end of my finger much as he had Elena’s. Instead of depositing my blood into the bowl, however, he licked it from the knife. I frowned at him as he looked at his mother. “No vervain.”

The witch stepped forward and took my hands in her own. “Cassidy, I believe that Niklaus has compelled your feelings for him. Would you allow Finn to try to remove it?”

I pulled away from her. “Nik wouldn’t do that,” I protested, doing my best to sound frightened and offended. I didn’t play damsel in distress well.

Finn placed his hand on my shoulder and turned me to face him. “If that’s true then what I do won’t matter, will it?” He bent forward to look directly into my eyes. “I am not strong enough to override my brother’s compulsion, but there is something I can do to get us the truth. Regardless of how you think you feel, you will only speak the truth about your feelings toward Niklaus.”

Tricky, tricky. Finn was smarter than everyone gave him credit for.

“How do you feel about my son Niklaus, Cassidy?” Esther asked.

I turned to face her. “I wish I had never met him. He’s horrible and he won’t let me go.” I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. “Why would I say such a thing? Nik and I are getting married and it’s absolutely the most horrible thing that could ever happen to me.”

I buried my face in my hands. After a moment, I sucked in a large breath. “What is wrong with me?”

Esther’s hand rubbed my back and I barely resisted the urge to twist away from her touch. “As I feared, Niklaus has compelled you to love him. Undoubtedly, he also ordered your compliance. He is more wicked than I feared.”

I said nothing but did my best to look terrified at the prospect. I must have been convincing because she went on with her evil villain speech.

“In casting the spell to save my children’s lives, I doomed the world to be cursed by a great evil. The world is out of balance and I must see it returned. Save Finn, they are evil and corrupt. He saw what they were and he hated it. When he tried to make his siblings see, they left him in a box for 900 years. Help me rid the world of their vileness once and for all.”

My tongue darted out to moisten my lips. “What do I need to do?”

“Just give me your blood, child. I will need slightly more from you than I took from Elena as yours was the blood that broke Niklaus’s curse, but you will be fine.”

At my nod, she motioned to Finn again and he sliced open my palm. I hissed at the sudden pain and watched the red liquid drip into the vessel below. Once satisfied with the amount, Esther said the same spell over me that she’d used on Elena and the wound closed.  “That’s all?”

“Yes. I will bind them together and Finn will be the sacrifice that saves the world. As much as I hate to do this, Finn will need to erase any memory of this meeting. We can’t have the rest of my children discovering their fate before it is time.”

Finn stepped forward and ‘compelled’ me once more. “Mother met with you only in a desire to know you better as you will soon be part of the family. You remember nothing you saw here or that was said here. You love Niklaus and nothing is amiss.”

I smiled at him and Esther. “Thank you for speaking with me, Esther. I hope we can do it again soon.”

“Of course.” She sat behind her desk and Finn escorted me from the room. The door shut behind me and the lock clicked into place. Well, the Original witch bitch had achieved a new level of evilness.

She intended to slaughter her children and would undoubtedly do it with a smile on her face. I needed to find my hybrid.


	15. Chapter 15

My gaze ran over the people gathered below until it fell on Elijah. His brow twitched up as he made his way to the bottom of the stairs to meet me. I gave him a small smile. “Hello, Elijah.”

“Hello, Cassie.” He placed a hand on my elbow and steered me through the crowd. Leaning toward me, he lowered the volume of his voice. “What did my mother want with you and your lovely cousin?”

I glanced up at him with wide eyes. “Nothing, really. She merely wished to apologize for all the trouble there’s been and to get to know us better. After all we’ll all be family soon. She was quite lovely.”

Elijah blinked several times but said nothing. I couldn’t help the smirk that came with the knowledge I’d rendered him speechless. A waiter passed with a tray of champagne and Elijah handed one to me before grabbing one for himself. I lifted the glass to my lips but didn’t drink. “I wouldn’t if I were you,” I said with a smile.

He hummed in agreement as he led me away from the crowd and toward Nik’s study. The hybrid himself was inside, pacing the floor. He looked up when we entered and closed the distance between us in three long strides. He pulled me to him. “What the devil is going on, Cassie?”

I held up a finger to tell him to hold on. After shutting and locking the door, I made way to his desk and pulled a bundle of sage from his bottom drawer. I lit it and placed it in the spelled dish I kept on his desk. “Your mother intends to kill you.”

“Of course, she does. She wants to retaliate for me ripping her heart out.” Nik’s tone was bitter but resigned, as if he’d been expecting this news all along.

I shook my head and headed to his bar cart to pour us all a drink that I was certain had none of my blood in it. “You misunderstand. She means to kill all of you.”

“You can’t be serious.” That came from Elijah.

I carried two glasses of scotch to them, giving Nik his first before handing Elijah the other and taking the flute from him. I held it up. “If I were you two, I wouldn’t be eating or drinking anything you haven’t had complete control over for the near future. Champagne included.”

“So, she intends to poison us?” Nik frowned.

“She took blood from Elena and myself. She intends to bind you all together then kill Finn. When he dies, so will the rest of you.” By this time, I had retrieved my own glass and took a large sip of the rich liquid. I enjoyed the burn as it went down then sat on the couch. Nik sat beside me and Elijah took the nearby chair.

Elijah’s brow furrowed. “She told you this?”

“I convinced her that Nik had compelled my love and compliance. Not that it took much, she obviously already believed it. She believes that the lot of you are a curse upon the Earth and she needs to restore balance,” I explained.

“And she expects Finn to just go along with this?” Nik asked.

I nodded. “He was there through the whole conversation. She had him compel me when we were finished so I would have no memory of it. He’s in agreement with it.”

Nik laid a hand against the side of my face and looked into my eyes. “Finn attempted to compel you?” His voice was little more than a growl.

“Yes, because that’s the important part of what I’ve said right now.” Stupid hybrid.

“Well, I think it’s bloody important.” He hopped to his feet and started pacing again.

“She’s right, Niklaus. What we need to focus on now is protecting ourselves and stopping mother.”

A knock came at the door. Nik frowned then opened it to answer as no one would hear him shout with the sage burning. Seeing it was Kol, he grabbed his brother by the arm and tugged him into the office before slamming the door shut and locking it once more. Kol stumbled slightly and ran his hands over his jacket. “Take it easy, would you?”

“Hello, Kol,” Elijah said.

He glanced in our direction. “Brother. And hello, darling. May I just say that you look stunning this evening?”

I chuckled. “Thank you.”

Nik crossed his arms over his chest. “Did you need something, Kol?”

“Oh, yes. I have been instructed to inform you that mother will be making a toast momentarily.”

I glanced between all of them. “That’s got to be it. Don’t drink that toast.”

Kol frowned. “Is there something I should know?”

“A great many things, I suspect,” answered Nik. “At present, it would seem our mother is attempting to kill us.”

The youngest brother rubbed the underside of his chin with the back of his hand. “A binding spell, then?”

My eyes widened slightly in surprise.

He grinned. “I wasn’t always a vampire, darling. Had quite a promising future as a witch before all this.”

“Well, that’s more than I have at the moment.” Suddenly feeling very exhausted, I ran a hand down my face. “Pretend to drink the toast. Let her think she’s won. It will work until she actually attempts the binding which I can’t see her doing until everyone goes home. It will buy us some time at any rate.”

“Time for what, may I ask?” Elijah said.

“We don’t stand a chance against Esther without my magic. I need to get it back.”

“As you have been trying to do for some time with no results,” Nik argued. “I say I just rip her bloody heart out.”

“It didn’t stick last time, brother. What makes you think this would be different?” Kol asked with a raised brow.

The hybrid hurled his glass across the room and it shattered against the wall. “There has to be a way.”

I walked over to the shelves that held the collection of grimoires and chose several of the most promising before placing them in a bag I kept nearby. “There is and I have an army of dead witches that can help me figure it out. Once this ball is over, I will go to the witch house. They talked to me. Maybe they’ll help. If nothing else, it’s a place to hide from your mother. She’ll realize that it was me that told you as soon as the spell doesn’t work.”

Nik sighed but nodded just the same. “I will go with you.”

“You can’t. The witches hated all of you when we were there. I was the only one they would have allowed to stay. I’ll be fine, Nik. They’ll protect me.”

“So now I’m dependent on the spirts of several long-dead witches to protect the woman I love from being killed by my homicidal mother? Why didn’t we think of this sooner? It sounds bloody brilliant.” Nik tossed his hands in the air as he spoke.

Kol looked from his brother to me. “I don’t think he means that.”

I rolled my eyes but Elijah stood up, catching my attention before I could respond. “We should go or we won’t get the chance to do anything. She’ll be suspicious if we don’t appear soon.”

I laid my hand on the arm he offered. Nik huffed and strode over to step between me and his brother, offering his arm instead. “Jealous?” I teased and leaned up to kiss his cheek.

“No,” he bit out, ignoring the amusement on the faces of everyone else in the room.  

“Where have you been?” Rebekah snarled as the four of us appeared. “You nearly missed it. Mother would have been furious.” Finn escorted his mother down the stairs as she spoke. They stopped halfway down.

“Calm yourself, Rebekah. Mother is hardly going to allow us to miss a toast in our honor,” Nik placated with a false smile.

A waiter approached and we all took a glass from his tray.

“Thank you all for coming,” Esther began with a tight smile. Her eyes ran over the crowd gathered below her and her smile widened as her gaze fell on our little group. “My family is reunited for the first time in many years. In addition, we are gaining a new member as my Niklaus has proposed to his lovely friend, Cassidy Grimes. We are so grateful you all have come to celebrate with us. Cheers.”

Everyone raised their glasses then drank down the toast. Well, everyone but the four of us at any rate. Esther turned to talk to someone and Nik moved quickly in her distraction. Before I even realized what he was doing, he’d taken my glass and replaced it with a nearly empty one. As I turned to face him, my gaze fell on the plant standing right behind him and my lips twitched.

I ran my hand under his jacket and around his waist so I was holding him while I leaned against his chest. He smiled down at me then pressed a kiss to my lips. “I love you.”

His smile widened. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

I stretched until my lips brushed his again. “We can do this, Nik. We have to.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I posted chapters 13-16 all at once so make sure you don't miss any. Also this chapter was super emotional for me so please excuse any mistakes.

As soon as I felt I could get away without being spotted by Esther or Finn, I made my way to the bedroom. I needed to grab a bag and get the hell out of the house as quickly as possible. I tossed one of my duffle bags on the bed and hurried around the room grabbing the few things I needed and threw them in. I changed into jeans and a t-shirt and was tying my shoes when Nik came into the room, closing the door behind him.

He lit a bundle of sage and placed it in the bowl next to our bed. For a long moment he just looked at me, his gaze running over me as if he were memorizing my features. “I don’t like this, Cassie.” His voice was low, his tone troubled.

I stood and grasped his arms to anchor myself. The truth was I didn’t like it either. But when the big bad hybrid was unsettled, it was my job to reassure him. “I don’t like that we’re going to be separated, but that house is the safest place I can be in this town. And even if Esther does suspect something, right now I’m just a human who has a tendency to get herself in trouble. I’ll be fine.”

He swallowed. “Promise me.”

I frowned and he pressed his forehead against mine before taking a deep breath. “Promise me that you’ll be okay, Cassie. I lost you once. I can’t do it again.”

“I already told you that you’re stuck with me. You aren’t going to lose me. I’d never let you off that easily.” I kissed him then and he returned it with an urgency that unsettled me. As much as I appreciated the fact he was comfortable enough with me to let me see his vulnerability, when he worried, so did I.

“I should go,” I said as I pulled away.

“Yeah.” He took a step back to put a little space between us and licked his lips. “I love you, little witch. Be careful.”

“I love you, too.” I grabbed my bag and pressed one more small kiss against to his cheek as I passed by. I opened the door and peered into the hall, my gaze quickly finding Kol where he leaned against the wall closer to the stairs. He nodded to let me know it was clear.

Before I could step out of the room, the heavy weight of my bag was taken from me. I glanced back to find Nik hovering behind me with a grim expression. “I’m taking you to the house.”

“We decided that wasn’t a good idea,” I argued though I would be happy to have him with me as long as I could.

“No. I reluctantly agreed not to stay at the house with you. I said nothing about escorting you. Now, come on and let’s get out of here.” His free hand grasped mine as he passed by me. I followed his lead through the house only stopping when we reached the front door to find Elijah waiting for us.

His dark eyes darted between the two of us. “Be careful,” he said before handing me a bag with the grimoires I’d selected from the library along with several other items. I glanced up in question. “Items Kol thought might come in handy.”

I gave him a quick hug of gratitude. “Love you, Elijah.”

That got a smile from him. “I love you as well, little sister. Now, hurry. Time grows short before you are discovered.”

Nik pulled me from the house before I even had a chance to say anything else. We were in the car and a mile down the road when I broke the silence. “You know I would do anything to protect my family, right?”

He glanced over in surprise and put a hand on my leg. “Of course, but why do you mention it?”

“Because when I get my magic back, I will find a way to kill your mother. For good this time. I’m sorry if the rest of your family hates me for that.”

He squeezed my thigh in reassurance. “The only one you need worry about, other than Finn of course, is Rebekah. For better or worse, Esther is her mother. I’m afraid there is a bond between mother and daughter that I couldn’t begin to understand. She’s likely to be angry even if it is irrational.”

I made a sound of agreement as I looked out the window beside me. Rebekah and I already had our share of problems so adding one more thing to the list wasn’t likely to make that much of a difference. I had other things to worry about at the moment anyway. Nerves chewed at my stomach and I rubbed my hand over it as if that would do anything to settle it. I had a feeling none of this was going to be as simple as we hoped. If we made it out with my family intact, I would count it a win.

We arrived at the estate far too soon and the uneasiness of dozens of dead witches ran through me. They were not happy that Nik had returned. He turned off the car and the silence stretched between us. I didn’t want him to go and he didn’t want to leave. However, as with most things in our lives lately, we didn’t have a choice. If we were going to defeat Esther for good, we had to do this right the first time. We wouldn’t get another chance. She’d make sure of it.

“You should go,” I finally said though I didn’t look at him.

“Yes, I suppose I should.”

Still, neither of us moved. I turned to study him in the moonlight and found him already looking at me. I bit my lip to resist the urge to tell him not to go. To stay and protect me from everything else that goes bump in the night.

“I’ll take the car home so there’s no sign of you being here and come back to check on you tomorrow. Call if you need me before then.”

I nodded, afraid I’d cry if I spoke. I exited the car and Nik popped the trunk open. Beside my duffle was a sleeping bag, pillow and two lanterns. Someone had been looking out for me while I packed.

“Kol,” Nik said when he saw my smile. “I’ll help you get this stuff inside.” He grabbed everything but the grimoires which I hadn’t put down since Elijah handed the bag to me.

I lead the way to the house, but we quickly discovered that Nik couldn’t get past the front door. “Really?” he grumbled to the air and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Guess this is where we part ways, hybrid.”

He nodded as he stacked everything neatly on the porch. Leaning forward, he gave me a sweet, swift kiss. “I will see you in the morning, love.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to say anything. I stood in the doorway until long after the lights from the car disappeared from my view. With a sigh, I turned on one of the lanterns and carried it through the house until I found someplace I felt secure enough to spend the night. Once I’d brought everything in and set it up, I pulled out the grimoires and everything Kol had slipped into the bag.

As I looked things over, I realized the second grimoire wasn’t one I had selected at all. Plus there was a page marked. Flipping it open, I read through the spell and grinned. Thank you, Kol Mikaelson.

The spell was simple enough and didn’t require any of my own magic. I could cast it as long as there was a power source nearby that was willing to help. And right now I was sitting in the middle of a damned power plant. “Will you help me with this?” I asked as I pointed to the spell in the book.

There was a whisper in the air; an anticipatory hum that soon turned to _yes_.

“Thank you.” I prepared what I would need for the spell, making sure everything was laid out and at hand. As I read through the spell one more time, I was now grateful Nik was no longer here. I was paying a visit to the Otherside for the first time since I’d been sacrificed. 

***

The spell worked just as it was supposed to and with some candles, blood and herbs I soon found myself on the Otherside. What I hadn’t considered was my current location. All those witches that made the old house their afterlife home surrounded me when I opened my eyes. A jolt of fear went through me but I tamped it down. If they meant me harm, they could have done it without bringing me here.

I turned a slow circle and ran my gaze over the figures that surrounded me. “There are so many of you.”

They faded in and out like a TV station with a weak signal. Their mouths moved in unison as they answered. “We are endless. We are centuries. Ancestors of ancestors. Blood calls. Pain holds.”

Well, that wasn’t creepy at all. A cold chill traveled your spine and had you rubbing your arms. “Surely there is a way for you to be freed. A spell that can be cast or a curse lifted?”

They hummed. Again, in unison. “Not all of us are trapped. Some of us come and go like the winter wind. So much power must be guarded from wayward children and evil intentions. The others must forgive. Forget. Release. This is not for you to do.”

I raked a hand through my hair. Regardless of why they were here or if they came and went as claimed, they had spent enough time together that they were tied in a single purpose, a larger body. “The Original witch bound my power.”

The figures flickered in and out faster and I could feel irritation radiating from them. “This name does not suit. We were here before her and will remain. She did not bind. She stole. Your magic answers her but fights to return to its home. It seeks its love and finds only cold.”

“What does that mean?”

Their heads jerked to the side so they were turned in the opposite direction from me. “We must go.” And they did just that while I looked around in confusion.

“Did you know magic absorbs the emotions of the witch it belongs to? I didn’t until I came here.”

I tried to breathe past the searing pain that pierced my chest. The ache that filled me with that sweet, familiar voice. “Daddy?” The word cracked along with what was left of my walls.

“Aren’t you going to turn around, sweetpea?”

I wanted to but was terrified I’d find he was only a figment of my imagination. There was only one way to know. My entire body trembled as I turned to face him. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with his hands shoved in his pockets. His familiar cockeyed smile wrenched a sob from my throat. Every detail of him was just as I remembered only smaller and I realized that in my memories he was larger than life. His personality filling any room he entered and always making him feel bigger than he was.

My hands flew to my mouth and I felt lost without the tears that should have been pouring from me, but spirits didn’t cry. Not physically anyway. “Oh, God.” The words were a cross between a plea and a curse.

Without thought, I surged toward him and threw my arms around him. Hugging my father was not something I ever thought I would do again, even in my wildest dreams. So to feel his arms holding me in that familiar embrace nearly broke me. I buried my face against him and swore I could even smell his aftershave though that was impossible here in this pseudoworld.

Moisture painted my cheeks and I took a step back in confusion. I swiped at my face and looked down to see tears on my hands. I frowned at my dad. I shouldn’t have been able to feel that hug or his warmth.

“You’re stronger than you know, baby girl.”

I shook my head. “I’m nothing. Esther took my powers.”

He gestured between the two of us. “This isn’t me, baby. This is all you. You’re stronger here because you’re closer to your magic. You operate from love. Magic is drawn to your love and your loyalty.”

“But I’ve done so many selfish things.”

“You are the least selfish person I know.” He huffed a laugh and smiled. “You let yourself be sacrificed to save your family. To free ancestors you’d never even met.”

“I did it for you and you’re still stuck here.” Those damned tears were back. _Stop it_ , I thought and just like that, they were gone.

He shook his head. “I’m not stuck, baby. I’m here for you. You’re still my little girl and I’m not going anywhere for a while. Your mom understands.” He tilted his head as if hearing something I didn’t. “We’re running out of time. I need you to do something for me.”

“No, Daddy. I can’t lose you again.”

“You won’t lose me but we’ve got to destroy Esther.” He looked around again and sped up his speech. “You can’t just send her back here or she’ll keep coming back. It has to be at the estate where the witches can help. And you’ll have to strip her of every bit of her power. She has to be human when she dies. Do you understand?”

“I understand but I can’t do anything. Not like this. I’m weak.”

“My little girl has never been weak. I need you to take my power, Cassidy. Take it and hide it until you need it.”

Pure fear ran through me. “You said I wouldn’t lose you. If I take your power, you’ll fade from here.”

“It’s only temporary, I promise you.” He stepped forward and placed a hand along the side of my face. “Do it now. Before it’s too late.”

My entire body shook as I sobbed. Grief, the likes of which I hadn’t experienced since my parents died, flooded all of my senses. I hooked a hand around my father’s wrist and concentrated on pulling his magic into myself. It was surprisingly easy here. Of course, he was willing.

“I am so proud of you, baby,” was the last thing I heard before I was alone and God, it hurt.

It was several minutes before I was brave enough to open my eyes. When I did I found myself sitting on the floor of the dilapidated house, the candles burnt down to stubs. I sucked in a trembling breath and pulled my knees up to my chest. I needed my hybrid, witches be damned.

As I turned to find my phone, a noise came from elsewhere in the house. A soft sound, like a shoe scuffing against the floor. I froze as I listened for another indication that I wasn’t alone. There was nothing but silence even as the figure appeared in the darkness just beyond the light of my lamp. My instinct was to lash out with the magic I could now feel where only empty space was before, but I heeded my father’s words. To hide it until I needed it.

I scrambled to my feet, kicking the book and closing it in the process. I stumbled sideways on perfectly steady feet to scatter herbs. The dark figure stepped closer. I took a centering breath and fisted my hands at my sides. “Why are you here?”


	17. Chapter 17

Finn’s smile as he looked me over was in no way reassuring. “Mother wishes to speak with you.”

I was sure she did. I chose to ignore his statement for the moment. “I’m surprised to see you here. The witches don’t seem to like intruders.”

He frowned. “You are here, are you not?”

I hummed in agreement then pointed at myself with my thumb. “Witch.”

“I have a witch with me as well. Perhaps mother was more prepared than your spirits.”

I didn’t respond to that because the fact was, it would appear that he was correct. At the moment, I couldn’t even hear a whisper of the witches. Their power was still there buzzing under the surface, but their presence had been severely dampened. I was beyond done with Esther Mikaelson.

My father’s warning that I needed to kill her here on the property flowed through me and I was tempted to reach for his magic. But I couldn’t beat her. Not now and not on my own. I needed my family and my own magic back.

Finn gripped my upper arm and steered me through the house. As we moved from room to room, tendrils of the old magic that saturated the air around me brushed against my skin, begging me to use it. I still wasn’t going to do anything without my hybrid. There could be no mistakes. She needed to die permanently this time.

The Original witch bitch was waiting for us when we left the house. “Cassidy, how delightful to see you.”

“Yeah. Fuck you, too.” My head snapped sideways when she smacked me. The increased pressure on my arm told me Finn didn’t care for my comment either. I turned back to face her and worked my jaw. Ow. “At this point I think we can drop the pretense, don’t you?”

“Very well.” She snapped her fingers and I was out.

***

When I woke, the sun had already risen. I figured by that point Nik would be half mad with worry. As far as I knew, my phone was still in the witch house along with everything else I’d taken with me. I wondered how long he went without hearing from me before he broke down and started looking for me.  

“It didn’t work, you know.” Esther’s voice startled me.

I turned to see her sitting on a chair across from the couch I’d been placed on. I glanced around the room as I sat up. Nothing looked familiar. “What didn’t work?”

“Your treachery. I knew you were stupid, but I had no idea you were so deceitful. You and Niklaus are a good much.”

This woman had some nerve. “ _I’m_ deceitful?”

“Pretending you didn’t remember our meeting on the other side. And that you were innocent in Niklaus’s manipulations. Did you think I wouldn’t discover your lies?” she snapped.

 I pursed my lips. “And when exactly did you discover them? About the time your spell failed I assume?”

She smirked. “You aren’t nearly as clever as you think you are. I would have been a fool to take your cooperation at face value. I had other measures in place so trust me when I tell you that my children are bound together despite your efforts to stop it.”

Pure fear spiked through me. She was lying. She had to be. “That’s impossible.”

“It would have been foolish for me to place the blood in the champagne. There were too many factors I couldn’t control. Mainly, making sure my uncooperative children actually drank it. But the blood bags they’ve all been using since I came back…well, that’s another matter entirely.” She crossed her legs and laced her fingers together in her lap.

Shit. Shit. Shit. I didn’t even know what to say at that point. My brain scrambled as I struggled to come up with a plan. I had to stop her before she did something I couldn’t fix. “If the spell worked then why don’t you just kill Finn now and get it over with?” Nausea rolled in my belly as I said the words.

“If I wish their deaths to remain permanent, I must see that the sacrifice is done correctly. Tonight, by the full moon. And when I am finished and no longer need your power, you can join them in death.”

“Gee, thanks.”

***

As luck would have it, I didn’t have to steer Esther to the estate. It held the most concentrated power of anywhere in the area so she chose it all on her own. Finn continued to grip my arm and jerk me around as his mother prepped the area for the ritual. I was so ready to kick his ass. Or watch Nik do it, as the case may be.

He kept me beside him as Esther used purified chalk mixed with bone to lay the circle and pentagram. Torches were placed at each point and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. There were other ways to feed the spell that took far less energy than flame but if the bitch wanted to tire herself out, I wasn’t about to stop her.

Once she finished, Finn stood in the middle of the circle. He kept my arm firmly in his clutches. It was full dark when he announced that his siblings had arrived. I struggled against his hold and Esther cast a spell to restrict my movement. As the magic she stole from me wrapped around my legs, I instantly felt the connection form between her and I. She would have to maintain it to keep me in check. If she tried to let the spell work on its own, the power would simply come back to me where it belonged. Perfect.

My brain worked through scenarios as Nik and his siblings walked up to the circle. Several things needed to happen at almost the same time. The first Esther had already done by creating the magical connection between us. Only seven more to go. Let’s just hope I could pull it off.

Nik’s gaze immediately locked with mine. He pulled his eyes away to look me over for injuries before shifting his focus to his mother. “Let her go, mother. She has nothing to do with this.”

“She has everything to do with this Niklaus. In fact, she is the one making all of this possible. The world should thank her,” Esther answered.

I rolled my eyes and Kol smirked. Elijah and Nik were too pissed off to do much of anything but glare at their wayward sibling and the bitch that bore them all. And Rebekah…well, she just looked devastated. But at least she didn’t appear to be joining her mother’s side.

“Stop this, mother,” Elijah commanded. He was so used to being obeyed I think he was genuinely shocked when she said no.

“For a thousand years I have watched you kill. I have felt the pain and fear of every one of your victims. You are abominations that I should have let die a thousand years ago.” Not one trace of emotion colored her voice.

It was time to end this. I huffed a laugh and shook my head. Esther turned narrowed eyes on me as if daring me to say something. “Did you never wonder why you were forced to suffer?” I asked.

“I had no reason to wonder. It was because I cursed the world by allowing them to survive.”

“You still don’t get it, do you? If they weren’t meant to be, the magic wouldn’t have answered. The price you were forced to pay for the spell would have destroyed you in an instant.” I clenched my fists at my side as I spoke. My words got harsher and louder as I went on. “You were punished because you cursed your children. You didn’t ask them if they wanted this. You forced it on them without consideration for the consequences and then left them to fumble along on their own. You suffer those deaths so they don’t have to. You are serving their penance because there is no forgiveness for you. That was your hell.”

“Enough!” the woman barked out as she slapped me across the face.

Nik and his siblings pushed toward the circle and the flames flared up in response. I shook my head and lifted a hand to wipe away the trickle of blood at the side of my mouth. I couldn’t help my smile. _One_. “Look, I’m bleeding.” I glanced at my hybrid. “Just imagine how dramatic it would be if we were all bleeding.” He frowned though I knew he understood the message. I gave him a wink and hoped that conveyed that I had a plan.

However the Mikaelsons managed to communicate between themselves, it was only a matter of moments before I could feel the power coming from the blood of the four siblings outside the circle. _Two._

I turned my engagement ring around with my thumb so the stone was on the palm side in preparation for the next step.

“What are you doing?” Esther hissed, obviously able to feel the power as well.

I tilted my head and gave her a half-smile before swiping my hand along the back of Finn’s hand, drawing a thin line of blood as the diamond cut him. _Three._

It was only then that I tapped into my father’s magic and let it rise. Esther shook her head and took a step back. “That’s not possible.”

“What is it, mother?” Finn asked but he received no answer.

Using my father’s magic, I connected to my own stolen power and started to pull it from her. The more I tugged, the faster it poured into me. When Esther started to fight against me, the spirits of the witches came to aid me.

Esther released a wordless, strangled cry and fell to her knees in the dirt. _Four._

Letting the witches continue their work, I held out a hand and recited a spell to call the blood of the five siblings. I didn’t need much, only a drop from each and myself. I had that and more.

As I recited the spell to unbind the siblings, the wind picked up and the flames flared even higher. Nik was yelling at me to let him in the circle. Finn was struggling against the magic I held him with. Elijah was yelling at Kol to figure out how to break the circle. And Rebekah was crying.

Of course, so was Esther.

The moment the spell binding the siblings broke, a pulse of power radiated out from the circle. _Five._

The taste of copper filled my mouth. Oh good, I was bleeding in front of the vampires again. While I continued to pull the dregs of power from Esther, I turned my attention to her eldest child. Now he could hurt. With a twist of my hand, he let out a howl and fell to his knees. _Six._

A moment later, I realized that I could no longer see anything but white light. If that was true for everyone else, I had no idea, but it was damned inconvenient. “Nik,” I called.

“What is it?”

“When the circle falls, you are going to have about five seconds when she’s fully human. Do you understand?”

“Oh, absolutely.” He sounded positively gleeful.

 Apparently, Finn understood as well because his struggles renewed. I hit him with another wave of magic. I had so much to spare at the moment, after all. Finally, pain overrode the adrenaline pumping through me. I clenched my teeth as my knees buckled. One of the brothers called my name though I couldn’t be certain which one. Pain flared through me, fire and ice rolled into one as the magic burned. So much power. So much agony. And when I thought I couldn’t take one more second of misery, my vision returned as the circle fell. _Seven._

The world slowed. Before my next breath, Esther’s heart was in Nik’s hand. Another breath and Finn was being restrained by Kol and Elijah. Another and the witches’ power flowed back out of me and into the ground. The next caught in my chest as I dropped to my knees. Muscles cramped, locking into contorted positions. Fuck that hurt. Rebekah yelled for Nik and everything went dark.

***

I recognized my bed beneath me before I even opened my eyes. The way they itched at the moment, I wasn’t in a big hurry to do that either. I licked my lips and swallowed. “Esther?”

“Dead,” was Nik’s immediately reply. He moved from wherever he’d been in the room to sit on the edge of the bed and take my hand in his. He rubbed his thumb over my skin but I kept my eyes closed.

“Finn?”

“Daggered and sealed.”

“You should get him some therapy. He needs it.”

Nik chuckled. “I’ll be right back, love.”

I frowned but didn’t try to stop him. It wasn’t long before he returned and then a warm, wet cloth wiped my face. “Oh. Yes, please,” I said and took the rag from him. I scrubbed my face until the skin no longer felt stretched and dirty.

When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to find the fabric colored with big swaths of blood. My gaze shot over to Nik’s. “What the hell?”

He arched a brow. “The amount of power you channeled that night left you bleeding from your ears, nose and mouth. I’ve done my best to keep you clean and fed you my blood regularly. Kol and Elijah have been rotating shifts with me so I could get some sleep.”

I sighed. “That sounds pleasant. How long?”

“Five days.”

“Shit.”

He held my hand in his and ran a finger along my palm. “I would lecture you about putting yourself in danger but once again you have saved us. And you don’t listen to me anyway, so what’s the point?”

“I guess you _can_ teach an old dog new tricks,” I teased.

Nik scowled at me. “Damn it, Cassie. This is serious. I almost lost you. Again.”

I tugged on his hand to pull him toward me so I could kiss his lips. It was soft and sweet but much needed. He pressed his forehead to mine and took a deep breath. “I can’t keep doing this. I don’t think I can survive it. I need to know you’re not going anywhere.”

I laid a hand along the side of his face. “I’m not going anywhere, Nik. Not if I can help it.”

“Oddly enough that’s not very comforting, love. I don’t want you to lose your magic, but I want you to consider letting me turn you.”

“We’ll figure it out. I promise.”

I kissed him again. And as he repositioned himself in the bed so he could lay his head on my chest while he held me in his arms, I thought of a spell. Buried amongst handwritten pages full of information on the Sun and the Moon curse was another page copied directly from Esther’s grimoire. I had divided it up and scattered it amongst the other information, but it was easily pieced together.

After all, why settle for being a vampire when I could be an Original, too?    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of book 2. I'm taking a break before book 3. I can tell you it has our favorite characters but the storyline will be completely original. Thank you for reading.


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